Matters of the Heart
by asian princess 61
Summary: A girl's heart is filled with different secrets. If someone were to find out, could she still be loved... and could that love survive? Okio.c. DONE
1. Matters of the Heart pt 1 Race's Start

Matters of the Heart pt. 1 Racing into One's Heart

The sun shined over Mibu Village as the members of the Shinsengumi prepared for the day's next event. _While the demon's away, us boys shall play,_ an older man with his dark hair up in a topknot thought happily.

"What's the next event, Yamanami-san?" the man asked.

The man next to him adjusted the glasses on his nose. Yamanami smiled.

"The footrace around Mibu Village," he replied. "You sure this is all right for us to do, Kondo-san?"

"Ah," he began. "What Hijikata doesnt know wont hurt him."

He smiled. Then, two women one with her hair pulled back into messy clips dressed in an apron and a new one dressed in a light blue kimono with a silver obi walked out from the building. Kondo stood.

"All right!" Kondo announced excitedly. "The winner or today's footrace will a serving of Ayumu's Okawa Rice and an evening with our new doctor, Megumi."

"HUH!" Ayumu and Megumi cried.

"You both don't mind now do you?" Kondo asked turning to them with a smile on his face.

"Of course not," They chimed in unison as Ayumu started back for her kitchen.

Inwardly, they were twitching.

_Well,_ Megumi thought smiling as she watched men gather eagerly at the starting line. _Kondo-san's just trying to have some fun.. Even though these men rarely ever see any women. _She sweat-dropped. _The air is thick with sexual tension.. and hunger._

(What do you think? This is my first Peacemaker fic. Leave me tips!

P.s. This was based on an r.p. Me and my guy friend did just in case you were wondering why it's got Ayumu/o.c.

I know there's a lot of yaoi writers in this category, but my take on that is "If there's no definite evidence (like a kiss or something in which both parties want) then, no one is to be considered gay." And things like, lets say, Okita's voice will not be used as evidence because that's just bad casting on both parts. No offense to anyone who likes yaoi though. Just letting you all know of my principles.)


	2. Matters of the Heart pt 2 Race's End and...

Matters of the Heart pt. 2 Race's End and A New Beginning   
A rather short young man with red hair and freckles stood at the starting line stretching his legs grinning.

"That okawa rice and that date is as good as mine!" he cried his already big grin growing. "I'll pick you up at six, Megumi-chan!"

"Not if I get it first Shinpachi!" a tall gruff man replied patting Shinpachi's head.

"No way! It's as good as mine Harada!" Shinpachi cried. "And no one else can have it!"  
"Oh come on Nagakura," another man with brown hair said walking up to the duo. "We all want

a chance for that rice and that date."  
Shinpachi Nagakura grinned.  
"Well," he began. "You'll both have to beat me for it!"  
"Or me!" an even shorter redhead added as he strutted up proudly to the starting line.  
"Oh no you don't, Tetsunosuke!" screamed a man with short hair as he dragged him away. "You'll get hurt, and that woman is much too old for you!"  
"Tatsu!" Tetsunosuke protested. "You're no fun!"  
Tatsunosuke rolled his eyes and continued dragging him away. Nagakura chuckled.  
"There goes some of the competition," he muttered grinning.  
"Not like he was any competition to begin with," Harada said sarcastically.  
"Aw the poor puppy," said the third joker grinning.  
"Aw man!" Nagakura cried. "You're racing too, Todou?"

Smiling, Todou nodded. Nagakura sighed. Oh well, he thought. I can still win! Then, Yamanami walked up smiling."WHAT?" Nagakura screamed. "You too, Yamanami?"  
The older man nodded adjusting his glasses.  
"Yes," he began. "But there's a rule this time forbidding the use of abacuses to win."  
"Good," Nagakura and the other jokers agreed.  
"Now, now," a familiar chipper voice intruded. "Can't we all just have some fun?"  
"OKITA?" Nagakura cried again as the others' eyes grew wide. "I thought Hijikata didn't

want you doing these things!"  
Okita smiled.  
"Well, it's only for today," he said smiling. "Plus, it looks so fun!"  
He cast a glance at Megumi standing on the covered wooden walkway. He smiled.  
"READY..." Kondo began holding up the toy gun in the air.  
"Ganbatte, minna-san!" Megumi cried excitedly.  
"GO!" Kondo yelled a jolly grin on his face as the gun fired with a loud bang.  
The runners took off racing. Okita started skipping. (Author's note: don't know why, but my

r.p. partner just made him that way. -.-) Instantly, Nagakura raced forward running as hard as he could.

Harada easily caught up with him.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that, Shinpachi!" He teased.

Nagakura grinned and ran ahead as Harada continued pumping his legs. Then, while Nagakura ran out alone on the stretch of road passing the rice patties, he spotted what seemed to be a flittering white spot beside him out of the corner of his eye. He turned.

"OKITA!" he cried. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"

"I'm skipping!" he replied smiling. "It's fun!"

"Get serious will you!" Nagakura screeched.

"Okay," Okita replied smiling as he suddenly burst into a run racing ahead of him in an instant.

_Must be fast from chasing after his pig._ Harada thought watching the scene just ahead. Nagakura pumped his legs even harder. Slowly, he pulled ahead of Okita too. Then, a strange figure with dark blue hair and deep dark blue eyes jumped out of the bushes and ran beside him matching him pace for pace. Nagakura's eyes went wide.

"Hey buddy!" the stranger started. "You know where to find food around here?"

"Yea!" he replied. "At the cafeteria of this place!"

The stranger grinned and zipped ahead of him eager to find the Shinsengumi's cafeteria. As he ran, Nagakura's jaw dropped.

"Hey! We're passing you!" Todou said as he, Harada, and Okita suddenly seemed to pop out of nowhere running ahead.

Nagakura glared racing ahead of them and the stranger.

"When pigs fly!" he cried seeing the finish line within his view. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! THE RICE AND THE DATE ARE AS GOOD AS MINE!"

"OOIINNKK!" a small pig cried suddenly flying over him and the others.

"WHAT!" Nagakura cried. "SAIZOU! I'm gonna kill you!"

"Aw," Okita pouted running past him. "He just wanted to have some fun like the rest of us!"

Nagakura twitched and continued trying in vain to beat the small pink pig.

"Get back here, Saizou!" he screamed pumping his short legs as hard as he could. "I'm gonna eat you!"

Megumi watched at the finishing line giggling. She scooped the small pink pig as it raced across. _Well, _she thought. _You may be not my first choice winner, but you're better than some of the others..._ Slowly standing, she found a pair of wooden sandals trailing just behind him. She looked up and smiled and walked off. Okita smiled a small quietly disappointed smile back. The stranger walked past.

"WE HAVE A WINNER!" Kondo cried grinning as Ayumu presented Okita's pig with a large plate of her okawa rice. "SAIZOU!"

Nagakura threw a tantrum.

Saizou dived into the plate and started scarfing down his food. The stranger watched and collapsed to the ground groaning in hunger.

"Oh Saizou-chan you're so cute!" Megumi and Ayumu cooed as they petted and tickled his ears.

"That was suppose to be me..." Nagakura whined.

"Or me..." Todou pouted.

"Mmeee," Harada sniffed.

"Oh my!" Ayumu cried rushing over to the fallen stranger. "Daijoubu!"

"Hungry..." the stranger groaned.

"Well.." Ayumu began. "I've got food in the kitchen.. As long as you don't mind some leftovers.."

The stranger looked up and grinned.

"Of course I wouldn't mind!" he replied. "As long as it's made by a beauty such as you!"

Ayumu blushed giggling.

"Well, aren't you a charmer!" she teased. "Come with me. I'll find you something to eat."

"OKITA! I'M GONNA KILL YOUR PIG!" he screamed.

Okita continued smiling.

Megumi smiled lifting Saizou up in her arms and taking his plate along as she walked.

"Come, Saizou," She said smiling. "I'll take you to my room where I shall entertain you for a few good hours."

"Be nice to my piggy!" he cried smiling as he sweat-dropped.

"Oh I will," she replied walking off her hips swaying lightly as she did so.

The evening sky turned a cool rainbow of reds, oranges, and dark blues starting a quiet night at the Shinsengumi Headquarters. Quietly, a screen door opened letting out a round, bloated pig rolling onto the walkway. Megumi giggled picking him up in her arms.

"I guess I better take you back to your master," she said walking down towards Okita's room.

Quietly, she knocked on the door. A smile on her face lit up as Okita stepped outside smiling and oddly brighter smile than usual.

"Saizou," he grinned. "You're chubby!"

"Heheh," she began smiling shyly. "Apparently, he likes my cooking."

"I bet anyone would," he replied his eyes locking onto hers. ".. Could I invite you in for some tea?"

She blushed feeling a pleasant constriction in her chest only to have her smile slightly fading.

"No..." she replied smiling a small smile. "I've.. Got other.. Obligations tonight."

Okita nodded sighing inwardly. An awkward silence fell over them.

"Well..." she began longingly. "I'll.. See you.. Sometime?"

Okita nodded again smiling.

"Hai," he replied.

"Ja," she greeted smiling.

"Ja," he replied watching her walk off back to her room.

He blushed as his eyes followed the slight sway of her hips. Quickly rushing into her room and grabbing a small pack filled with hair ornaments and a folded kimono, she slipped out quietly and started to make her way to the red-light district of Shimabara. Then, the Jokers walked up.

"Hey, Okita!" Nagakura called out. "We're going to Shimabara.. Wanna come?"

Okita turned to them smiling.

"Well," he began smiling wider. "Normally, I would object, but this time, I won't."

"All right, Okita!" Nagakura cheered.

"He's finally in the mood!" Harada cried grinning.

"Nice," Todou grinned.

The girls of Shimabara shuffled around the tatami rooms serving sake filling the district with the sounds of singing, music, and the soft drone of flirting conversations. Okita and the Jokers drank their fill eagerly. A figure heavy with her black, gold, and red kimono shuffled down the hall stopping and kneeling as she came to a sliding screen door. Slowly, she slid the door open and suddenly let out a loud gasp.

Okita, Harada, Todou, and Nagakura turned going wide eyed. Okita blushed, and it wasn't from the alcohol.


	3. Matters of the Heart pt 3 Drunken Confes...

Matters of the Heart pt. 3 Drunken Confessions

Megumi blushed and bowed before the others.

"Nagakura-sama, Harada-sama, Todou-sama, Okita-sama do enjoy yourselves here as you all usually do," she greeted humbly slowly rising and casting a glance at Okita through the corner of her eye.

Okita locked eyes with her his blush turning darker. _He's not _drunk _enough! _She thought panicked. She turned away and lowered her eyes.

"MEGUMI!" Nagakura slurred suddenly bursting out into a laugh. "HAHAHAHAHA! THAT'S FUNNY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, MEGUMI!"

"Nah.. Couldn't be!" Todou slurred back. "She'd never hang out in a place like this!"

"True," Nagakura replied. "But it is a good look-a-like!"

"What's your name?" Harada slurred grinning.

"M-megumi desu.." she replied in a shy tone.

"Whoa!" Nagakura cried. "She's got the same name too!"

Quickly, Okita gulped down his cup of sake.

"Wow!" Nagakura grinned. "Go Okita! Chug! Chug! Chug!"

Okita downed another and another as the others watched fascinated with his behavior. Dizzy, he grabbed the bottle and drank straight from it. The Jokers watched intently. _Mustn't remember.. Mustn't know that it's her.._ He thought downing another cup grinning. His grin grew as his hindrances slipped away with the sake in his throat.

"Now," he purred. "Why don't a beautiful woman like yourself just spend some time with little old me?"

He wrapped his arms around her grinning and purring his inhibitions and fears washed away with the sake. Her blush grew brighter. She pulled away smiling nervously. She blushed again.

"Now why don't you come over here with a big man?" Harada slurred temptingly as he could.

She backed away slowly.

"H-how may I serve you all?" she stuttered humbly her voice trembling with nervousness. "Should I play song? Should I dance? Shall I sing for you?"

Nagakura grinned. Todou smiled.

"Dance!" the short redhead grinned.

"I wanna see some skin..." Harada purred grinning madly.

Megumi gripped onto her already shut kimono tightly. She smiled and picked up a shamisen and bachi lying near the instruments of the other girls. A soft pretty tune wafted through the room as she began to play. (Author's note: a shamisen is a guitar-ish instrument that's played with a pic called a bachi.) Smiling drunkenly with a lusting look in his eyes, Nagakura walked to her and pulled part of her kimono open and pulled out a cream colored leg and wrapped his arms around it.

"So pretty.." he cooed to it.

"HEY!" Harada bellowed. "Quit hogging her!"

"You don't have to worry, Harada-sama," she cooed hating herself inwardly for it. "You can all share me if you so wished it."

A light blush stained her face. Okita watched continuing to down sake turning an even brighter shade of red with every sip and every cup.

"Okita-sama," A geisha said sitting beside him entwining an arm around his as she did so. "Don't you want to join in?"

Megumi blushed finding Todou's arms wrap around her as he laced drunken kisses on her neck. Her blushed turned darker when Harada shoved his face into crevasse of her kimono. She continued playing as best she could.

"Hmm," Nagakura sighed. "Such pretty little legs.."

"Hey," Harada hiccupped pulling his face out from the cleft of her breasts. "These are really nice.."

Todou smiled a cute smile. Okita turned back to the girl smiling.

"Nah," he replied. "I wouldn't want to molest her like they're about to do."

"Oh believe me, Okita-sama," she grinned. "She wouldn't mind. After all, she's used to this sort of treatment."

She blushed. Standing and dropping the other woman's arm gently, Okita stood and walked over to her a very different smile on his face than his normal smile. He bent beside her and leaned in as close as he could to her ear. The sweet smell of sake and the soft coo of his voice made her shiver.

"Would you be insulted.. If I said I wanted you?" he whispered huskily into her ear nipping at an earring adorned lobe.

She blushed letting out a quiet gasp.

"Iie..." she replied. "Demo.. I don't have any experience when it comes to that.."

Okita smiled a drunken blush on his face turning darker.

"Neither do I," he replied grinning.

Nagakura burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHA!" he laughed. "Okita's a virgin!"

"Whoa," Harada replied chuckling.

"What do you say?" Okita smiled drunkenly.

Blushing, she nodded and stood eagerly pulling away from Nagakura and the others. She took his hand and led him to a room shutting the door slowly behind her.

"Aw.." Nagakura whined.

Todou nodded in agreement.

"Daijoubu desu," a girl said walking up to them. "I can entertain you for a while."

"Really now..." Harada replied grinning eagerly.

"Of course," the girl replied a seductive smile gracing her lips. "It's my job after all."

Harada grinned. The girl took his hand and started leading him off to a room. He followed eagerly like a puppy. Nagakura shrugged and grabbed more sake and sake cups. Todou joined in smiling.

Megumi turned away from the door watching Okita plopped down on a futon.

"Okita-san.." she began. "How drunk are you?"

Okita grinned and opened up his arms as wide as he could.

"TTTHHIISS DRUNK!" he replied his large grin seemingly growing larger.

She sighed walking over to him and placing a hand on his forehead as though looking for a fever. She sat down beside him.

"Well.." she said. "At least you don't have a fever or anything."

"Of course not!" he grinned. "I'm not sick! I'm in love!"

She stared at him strangely taken back by his remark. She shook her head trying to force her blush away.

"No you're not," she replied. "You're drunk, and you don't realize what you're saying."

Okita turned to her with a worried look on his bright red face.

"Nah," he began smiling making her turn toward him. "I may be drunk, but I know what I'm saying. And I'm saying I love you!"

She blushed again lowering her eyes ashamedly.

"I.. I lov-like you too, Okita.. But.. Why?" she asked as her eyes began tearing. "I'm nothing but a whore who 'entertains' men for a living."

"So?" he smiled turning her head gently towards him. "I don't care! You're nice, you're beautiful.."

He trailed off staring deep into her dark brown eyes. He leaned in close inches away from her face. He moved again placing his mouth close to her ear as he sniffed the air lightly picking up on the sweet scent of jasmine and roses. He purred his inhibitions still banished with the all the sake.

".. And you smell good.." he whispered huskily into her ear slowly pulling away from her.

She felt her heart pounding in her ears and fiery shivers run through her skin. Okita smiled. Knowing yet unknowing, her hand reached up and undid the obi that held her kimono shut.

Okita looked on with the curiosity and glee of a young boy let loose in a candy shop.

(Author's Note: eh.. There was a lemon scene here in the r.p.. But I don't know.. If you want let me know otherwise.. Hope you liked it! Sorry for it's shortness...)


	4. Matters of the Heart pt 4 If They Only K...

Matters of the Heart pt. 4 If They Only Knew

Entangled in each other's arms, they slept in a sea of disheveled kimonos and masses of long black hair. Quietly, the screen door slid open as two dark haired figures tiptoed inside.

"Who do you think he is?" asked a small girl's voice.

"I don't know," another smaller girl's voice replied smiling. "But he's pretty!"

The smaller girl sat down next to Okita's sleeping body and grabbed three sections of his hair and began braiding the silk black strands. Megumi's eyes began to flutter hearing the new quiet sounds in her room. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Oi!" she chided quietly. "What I have told you about bothering the guests!"

The two girls looked up at her.

"Sorry, Megumi-san," they replied in unison.

Okita stirred. He turned to the two girls and smiled. They grinned. The door slid open again. Quickly, she covered up with her discarded kimono covering up a small purple mark on her shoulder. A beautiful woman with long brown hair tied in ornaments stepped inside.

"Ah! Gomen ne, Megumi-san," she apologized embarrassedly taking the two girls' hands. "These two got away from me last night."

"Daijoubu desu, Akesato-san" she replied smiling as Akesato walked out.

"Bye! Bye!" they cried waving.

"Bye!" Okita smiled waving back.

She turned to him smiling faintly.

"Gomen ne.. They're my apprentices," she said sighing quietly.

He let out a small chuckle.

"It's ok," he replied smiling as he stood redressing in his kimono. "Will you come back with us?"

She smiled a small smile hiding the sadness in her eyes. She lowered her head.

"Iie," she began. "I'm needed here today.."

He nodded. He pulled her close and pecked her cheek. She blushed. Okita walked into the adjacent room chuckling at a drunk Nagakura sprawled in the arms of a sleeping prostitute and Todou drunk on sake. Groggily, Nagakura stirred.

"Ugh.." he groaned. "My head."

Todou nodded in agreement. Nagakura pulled out a few coins turning to another girl.

"Make sure she gets this," he whispered motioning to the sleeping girl who held him in her arms.

"Hai, Nagakura-sama," she replied taking the money.

In another room, Harada stirred and turned to the girl beside him. She smiled.

"Here," he said handing her a few coins as he dressed.

"Arigato, Harada-sama," she replied humbly.

He nodded walking out. Okita smiled. The Jokers chuckled and started out as Okita trailed lightly behind still grinning. Megumi watched from a window.

Matters of the Heart Side Story; Character Reflections: Megumi

I watched him go out the door trailing just behind the others. I can't help but smile to myself. He loves me! .. Or at least likes at the moment. Either way.. I'm overjoyed.. And.. He doesn't care that I do this.. If they only knew. I sigh. When did this all begin? Ah.. Fairly recently actually...

I was saving up all the money I made so I could be able to buy my way out of this rotten sinkhole that's thinly veiled by the colorful kimonos and the wild "exciting" nights of sake drinking and "partying." Then, it happened.. I got dumped with two girls, and they tell me I have to train them. I sigh. I was so close..

Their names are Yumi and Kagome. I took one look at their small, slightly chubby faces and large, innocent dark eyes.. And melted. I knew.. These were the girls Shimabara was looking for. So, I did the only thing I could. I worked harder, sent them to bed early not allowing them to spend the nights seeing what I do, and started saving so I could buy _us_ a way out of here.

Then, _He _came into my life...

I grew up in a decent samurai family who had the misfortune of going under. Everyone in my family knew a great deal about medicine, and I was no exception. One day, I passed a sign in town reading for the Shinsengumi wanting to hire someone for a doctor's position. I quickly applied.. But when I reached the Shinsengumi gates, I, literally, bumped into the most handsome man with the gentlest brown eyes and silky brown hair. In his calloused hands, he held an adorably mean looking pig. My heart stopped beating for a few good moments. He smiled and took my hand saying he would lead me to Hijikata's office. Cat calls came from the crowd of men around the compound saying how this Okita Souji had apparently found a new girlfriend. And that was the edited version of what they said. I blushed. He continued smiling a light blush streaking his cheeks. I knew they were teasing.. But still.. It was a bit embarrassing.

Okita lead me into a tatami room behind most of the buildings. A stern looking man kneeled at a small table smoking his pipe his long slightly scraggily hair pulled back dark thin bangs hanging in front of his eyes. Unlike the gentle Okita, dressed in white who still had my hand in his, this man wore a dark kimono and had a fierce piercing gaze. He shot Okita a look his eyes flashing from his hand in mine to his face. He blushed and dropped my hand quickly and ran off to do his duties with a wave of the man's hand. I felt intimidated. I bowed trying to hide the nervousness that suddenly popped up once Okita had left.

"Hijikata-san.. I presume," I began humbly still bowing.

He nodded setting down his opium pipe.

"Yes," his deep voice suddenly seemed to boom out. "I take it you're here for the doctor's position."

"Hai," I replied softly. "If you'll let me have a few days to show what I can do."

Suddenly, I felt another set of eyes on me. I looked around the room, and in a dim corner, a spiky haired boy stood his pale skin standing out in the dark of the corner... I was sure he wasn't there before.. He watched me never taking his eyes off me.. Studying me. I kept calm.. After all.. I got looks like this from many clients of the brothel.. Only.. This one wasn't mentally undressing me. His dark eyes seemed to look for the barely noticeable crack in my man made facade.

Hijikata asked what he wanted to know. I obediently answered. The boy in the corner kept watching. It seemed to be a grueling interview. Even if it was short. Hijikata dismissed me and _thankfully _let me have the job!. I was so happy. There. It was settled. I would spend my days here playing the part of the good doctor and spend my nights in Shimabara as the entertainer of men and a prostitute. I would have that money in now time. (Thankfully, these boys never really got hurt so I could spend the day sleeping in my office when I needed to.) I trotted out after bowing gratefully to him and began placing my zori back on my feet. Then.. I stopped. I turned.

"P-pardon?" I asked nervously.

"I asked what your last name was. You never mentioned it," he replied smoking his pipe again.

"S-sohma," I replied nervously. "Sohma Megumi desu."

The boy in the corner's eyes flashed with recognition. Hijikata's face turned to an odd look. He nodded and dismissed me again. Quickly, I walked out shaking with fear. I could hear their voices behind me.

"Susumu," Hijikata began. "Do some background work on that woman for me.. Her name sounds familiar."

"Hai," Susumu replied. "I will."

I found out later that Susumu was kind enough to leave out my current situation.

(Author's Note: Sorry it's short. But I wanted to end the chapter with Okita leaving. I hope the side story made things a little bit better. I might add more to see how the others react to Megumi and how they interact and such.)


	5. Matters of the Heart pt 5 The Morning Af...

(Author's note: forgot to mention this, but that little purple mark Megumi was covering up in the last chapter is a sign of HIV/AIDS a.k.a. an STD. She may have never been with anyone, but there are other ways of passing it.)

Matters of the Heart pt. 5 The Morning After

As Megumi continued watching, the sliding slid open again. She turned. The other geisha girls stood just outside grinning.

"Ah!" they screamed rushing in and suddenly hugging her. "Megumi got her cherry popped!"

She blushed. A boy about eleven years old turned to them wide eyed almost dropping the tray of sake he held.

"It popped!" he cried naively.

The girls giggled.

"You'll understand when you're older," one girl grinned.

"Aw," he replied. "It's always when I'm older."

The girls continued giggling.

Okita stretched a large smile on his face. Saizou came sniffing around from a corner. Smiling, Okita picked him up.

"Good morning, Saizou!" he cried hugging his pig.

He glared. The pig sniffed letting out a disgusted squeal.

"Now, now," Okita began. "Be nice! It's such a lovely morning."

He let out another disgusted squeal. Okita gave him a look.

"Now, now," he said again sternly as he could. "You'd do it with a female pig. So why can't I do it with a human female?"

Saizou's head turned to the bathhouse and back to his master still glaring. Okita sighed.

"All right," he sighed. "I'll go get a bath."

Saizou nodded as Okita set him down and started walking off.

"Ah, Okita!" Kondo cried grinning making him look up. "Have fun in Shimabara? Heard it was your first."

"Oh yes," he replied blushing lightly letting out a nervous chuckle.

Kondo laughed heartily.

"Well be careful," he said smiling. "My old friend, Matsumoto, says that there's a new disease going around down there. It's killed a lot of the girls."

"Hai," Okita nodded and continued on to the bathhouse.

Then, he let out a hard cough feeling something slick coating his palm after climbing up his throat. He pulled his hand away sighing at the sight of his crimson stained phlegm and continued walking.

"Ugh.. My head.." complained Nagakura massaging his hung-over head.

"Mine too," Todou agreed.

"And mine.." Harada whined.

"Hey.." Nagakura began. "Maybe Megumi has something for this."

He grinned. _And I'll get to see that pretty little doctor of ours for almost no reason! _He thought grinning wider.

"Yea," Todou began. "Maybe she does."

"Let's go!" Harada cried suddenly wincing at the volume of his voice. "Ugh.."

Nagakura and the others sprinted off eagerly to Megumi's office. He slammed the sliding door open grinning widely.

"Megu–" he began looking around the empty room. "Huh.. She's not here. Wonder where she is?"

"Who knows," Todou replied.

Harada nodded.

In Shimabara, as Megumi sat soaking in the warm bath, she let out a quiet cough.

Matters of the Heart Side Story 2: Natsu no E (Picture of Summer)

The Day of the Race:

The stranger followed her to the cafeteria. He sat down tiredly as she scrambled setting up a place setting and warming food. As she set the first course down on his table, he grinned and started eating hungrily. Ayumu watched smiling.

"So where do you come from?" she asked kneeling across from him smiling.

At the sound of a charming southern accent, the stranger looked up and swallowed the last bit of a large clump of food down his throat.

"Oh nowhere really," he replied smiling at her. "I just usually wander around. But I might stop my wandering if a pretty little thing like you might go out with me sometime. Gotta name?"

Handsome dark blue eyes stared deep into her brown ones. A light blush rose on her cheeks. She giggled.

"Yamazaki Ayumu," she smiled. "You?"

"Seishin. I know a nice little tempura place on the other side of town," he offered. "It's run by an old couple that's friends of mine."

"Hm.." she began thinking. "Well.. I guess so. I don't see why not."

"Good!" he grinned. "I'll pick you up tomorrow night!"

She giggled nodding and ran off to find more food.

The next day's warm summer night flurried with early scattering cherry blossoms. Ayumu stepped out of her room. An orange and gold yukata adorned her lithe body wrapped with a royal blue obi of gentle rolling waves. Small hair ornaments were entwined in her hair. In a black obi, Seishin walked up adorned in a black kimono trimmed in white. She smiled.

"You look beautiful!" he exclaimed grinning.

She blushed.

"Why thank you," she replied reaching up and checking an ornament in her hair.

The sleeve of her kimono slowly slid down revealing the pale creamy skin of her forearm. His grin turned to an even larger one that threatened to split his face in half. (Author's note: during this time showing someone your inner forearm is equivalent of 'showing a bit of leg'... shocking how times have changed isn't it?) He offered his hand to her. Ayumu walked to him placing her hand in his.

"It's quite a walk, considering it's all the way on the other side of town," he said smiling. "I could carry you."

Ayumu giggled. A smile lit up her face.

"Iie," she replied. "It's ok. I can walk."

He nodded as they started making their way across town.

Paper lanterns shined dimly outside a small and quaint building advertising the delicious foods inside. Seishin led her inside and sat her down at the closest table. Eagerly, she followed.

"May I take your order?" a small old woman walked up smiling.

"Ah.. Vegetable tempura onegai," she replied her smile growing.

"I'll have the same," Seishin added.

The small old woman nodded and started off for the kitchen. The smell of frying tempura filled the small, empty restaurant. Seishin and Ayumu's quiet conversation filled the air making the shop come alive with the hiss and crackle of the oil.

Looking up, they smiled as the small old woman place two plates of steaming tempura before them.

"It looks good," she said.

"I know," he replied. "It's the best in my book. Now eat.. Or it will get cold."

She picked up her chopsticks and placed a small piece in her mouth.

"Oishii!" she cried as Seishin chuckled.

Ayumu smiled as she and Seishin continued eating.


	6. Matters of the Heart pt 6 The Effects

Matters of the Heart pt. 6 The Effects

In the morning sunlight, Ayumu stirred smiling at the sleeping face and body lying beside her in her futon. She wrapped her kimono around her nude body and stiffly stood headed for the bathhouse. _Can't go and start the cooking looking like this_, she thought smiling as she stepped out of the room and slid the door quietly shut behind her.

Megumi yawned quietly. _Why am I suddenly so tired? _She asked herself. _Eh.. Probably just stayed up too late..._ Weakly, she stood her strength suddenly leaving her. She let out a quiet groan and slid her door open making her way to the training hall. She leaned against the post sighing tiredly.

"MEGUMI-SAN LOOK OUT!" Okita cried pushing her out of the way and crashing on top of her.

"Ah!" she cried grunting as she hit the hard wood.

Tetsunosuke suddenly went flying through the door landing in the grass below the raised walk way. He groaned his bamboo sword rolling away. A loud whistle came from inside.

"Get a room you two!" Nagakura cried grinning.

"Go, Okita!" Harada grinned.

Todou chuckled. Megumi turned and stared at Okita's face above her. She blushed. He blushed and quickly got off her laughing nervously. Blushing and standing, she smiled and walked over to Tetsunosuke.

"Itai..." he groaned sitting up slowly.

"Daijoubu ka, Tetsunosuke-kun?" she asked smiling.

"Hai," he replied massaging his head. "I think Saitou and Okita got a little rough."

Megumi turned and sent a playful glare towards Saitou and Okita. Okita laughed.

"Gomen ne, Tetsunosuke-kun," he chuckled.

Saitou nodded.

"Daijoubu! Daijoubu!" Tetsunosuke laughed.

Megumi smiled as she helped him. Tetsunosuke bounded back into the training room grinning.

"WHO'S NEXT!" he challenged eagerly.

The men laughed. She suddenly let out a loud and rough cough. Okita turned worriedly and discreetly pulled her aside.

"Are you all right?" he whispered taking her hand in his.

She smiled.

"Of course," she replied quietly. "I'm just a bit tired. Probably just a cold."

He smiled a small worried smile and nodded. He placed a small kiss on her lips and walked back into the training hall. She blushed smiling as she watched popping her head through the door.

As Tetsunosuke cleaned up after the men picking up and putting away wooden and bamboo swords and spears, Okita dressed putting his hair in a high ponytail and slipping his swords in his obi. His kimono hung loosely leaving his pale muscular chest exposed. He walked out with a large smile on his face.

"Hey," Nagakura whispered as he walked by the other Jokers tagging along. "Since when did Okita wear his kimono like that and carry his swords?"  
"Good question," Todou added. "He's wearing his hair up too."

"Heh," Harada replied chuckling. "I bet that trip to Shimabara must've done wonders for him."

The Jokers chuckled and continued walking.

"Megumi-chan," he smiled sliding open her office door. "Are you busy?"  
She looked up hearing the sudden intrusion. She pulled a small powderpuff away from her neck and placed it back in a small lacquered box filled with the pale white-ish cream colored powder that matched her skin. She smiled putting the box away and out of sight.

"Iie," she replied. "Actually, I was thinking of going into town. It's rare that I have a day off here and a day off in Shimabara too. Would you like to come with me?"

Okita's smile grew. He nodded. Smiling, she stood and walked out both making their way to town.

The market streets bustled with the chatter of merchants and buyers out to make use of the warm sunshine and warm summer weather. Small pink flurries of cherry blossoms fluttered through the sky as though it were pink snow. Megumi let out a quiet giggle.

"It's nice ne?" she smiled.

"Hai," he replied looking down on her a slightly dazed look in his eyes.

"Though..." she began turning to him with a smile. "I have to wonder about the change that's come over you."

Okita blinked.

"Change?" he questioned confused.

"Yes," she answered. "You never leave your kimono open. Your hair is up, and you're carrying your swords. The Okita I'm used to would never do that."

Okita stopped her words ringing in his ears. He looked down at his open kimono and his swords and ran a hand through his pulled back hair. He smiled staring as she slowly started ahead.

"Well," he began. "I think it should be obvious..."  
"Oh?" she called back to him back still turned. "It should?"

"Well," he started again. "I should think it should be obvious _to the woman_ _who I'm making these changes for_."

She stopped. A blush crept on to her face. Slowly, she turned to him still blushing.

"Ah.. I... Okita.." she replied the words stumbling off her tongue.

She lowered her head pieces of her black hair hiding her face. Softly, he smiled walking up to her. Gently, he turned her face up to meet his dark eyes. Her blush turned brighter. He continued smiling as he pulled out a small hair pink of pink cherry blossoms and dangling silver glass beads out of his kimono's sleeve. She grew silent.

"...O-okita?" she questioned.

"For you," he replied quietly placing the pin gently in her pulled back hair.

He placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"To a cute girl, give a flowered hairpin.. To a beautiful woman..." he whispered into her ear.

Her face grew hotter.

"Ah.. It's.. uh.. ah.. Thank you.." she blushed shyly lowering her head again looking for a distraction out of the corners of her eyes. "Oh! Look! A candy shop!"

She grabbed his hand and started pulling him along.

"Come on!" she cried smiling. "Let's get some sweets and mochi (Author's note: mochi is a rice cake filled with red bean paste. It's good), and we can have a small picnic!"

Okita chuckled and nodded eagerly in agreement running off with her.

The scent of bubbling and boiling soups and cooking meat wafted through Ayumu's kitchen as she chomped vegetables and tossed them into a pot. Seishin watched. Slowly, he stood walking quietly behind her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Ayumu smiled. He placed a small kiss on her cheek. Ayumu's smile grew.

Small paper wrappers and shiny foil squares littered the walkway as Okita and Megumi sat eating and watching the wind slowly blow a pink snow storm of cherry blossoms. She sighed tiredly letting out a set of coughs.

"Are you all right?" Okita asked worriedly wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him.

She smiled.

"Hai," she replied. "Just a bit of a cold."

Okita nodded as she rested her head tiredly on his shoulder. A sick feeling grew in his stomach. _She's fine.. _He thought. _It's just a cold.. Nothing to worry about.. _His other arm wrapped around her enveloping her in a warm embrace. A hot, feverish forehead pressed against his chest. _She's warm.. Feverish..._ He thought worriedly. Looking up to him as she watched his worried expression, she pulled away and placed his head in her lap. She pulled out his ponytail letting his black hair flare out in gentle waves. She smiled.

"You've got nothing to worry about," she smiled. "It's only a small cold."

He nodded worriedly. Her small hands stroked his long black hair running her fingers in the smooth, untangled mane. She smiled again.

"Thank you, Okita-kun," she began.

He stared at her with a bewildered look.

"For what?" he asked a small smile alighting his face.

"I had fun today," she replied leaning down and kissing his forehead. ".. More fun than I've had in a long time.."

He sat up staring deep into her brown eyes. Then, he pressed his lips to hers in a swift and sudden passionate movement.

Kagome watched as two girls, one with short hair and the other with long hair, dressed in red and gold kimonos of smooth and shining silk. Hairpins shined and jingled in their hair. She sighed. Yumi stared at her simple white nemaki (Author's note: Nemaki is a kimono used for sleeping aka Japaneses pajamas).

"Akesato-san," Yumi began tugging on Akesato's long kimono sleeve.

Akesato turned.

"Can we go with you tonight?" Kagome asked pouting. "We wanna see what you and Megumi-san do.."

Softly, the older geisha smiled as she caressed their small faces with her hands.

"Now girls," she began kindly and sternly. "You know Megumi forbids you to tend to the guests. She's doing it for your own good."

The girls pouted.

"Now," she started again standing from her mirror and leading the small girls to a small room with a futon and a dimly lit lantern. "Lets get you both to bed. It's getting late."

"Yes, Akesato-san," the chimed walking into the room and sliding the door shut.

"Kagome-chan and Yumi-chan are so lucky," Hana said.

Saya nodded.

"Yes," Akesato replied. "She works so hard.. If you girls do that too, you can buy you're way out of this place too.."

Hana and Saya turned to her. They smiled.

"Maybe..." Hana grinned. "But we'd never get to see those handsome Shinsengumi boys ever again."

Saya giggled. Akesato smiled.

With Okita still laying in her lap, she continued stroking his hair. She yawned. Okita stood.

"Lets get you to bed," he said smiling. "It's late."

She giggled leaning back on her hands.

"Daijoubu desu," she replied as Okita suddenly lifted her up in his arms.

Okita smiled and walked into her room placing her gently beside her futon. Standing, Megumi smiled as she grabbed a white nemaki and stepped behind a paper changing screen. The small lantern in the room silhouetted her figure through the paper changing screen. Okita blushed and made himself turn away. _Mustn't become like the others now, _he smiled inwardly to himself. _I really mustn't._

"Okita-kun," she murmured placing a hand on his shoulder making him turn. "Stay by me.. Tonight?"

He blushed.

"H-hai," he smiled. "I think I would like that very much."

Megumi smiled sliding into her futon. Okita slipped in beside her and pulled her close. She sighed tiredly wiping a light sheen of sweat of her brow. He stroked her long black hair and smiled softly. She looked up to him smiling. He placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Oyasumi," she whispered closing her eyes.  
"Oyasumi," he smiled softly as he fell asleep.

(Author's note: well.. That was a bit longer than the other chapters. Finally got my creative juices flowing. Hope you liked it! Oh, and about Okita dressing with his hair up and with his kimono open, I just thought it would be cute. You know.. One of those "Love makes you do crazy things" bit.. But if you don't like it.. Well... I'm not changing it.. Sorry.)


	7. Matters of the Heart pt 7 A Strange Fore...

Matters of the Heart pt. 7 A Strange Foreigner

Dazzling morning sunlight fluttered through the sliding paper door. Megumi stirred. Her bleary eyes opened and reached across the futon finding Okita's empty space. She let out a cough opening up her nemaki and watched purple blossoming blemishes slowly bloom on her chest. She sighed. The door opened. Quickly, she shut her nemaki. Okita knelt just outside her door a tray of tea cups and a teapot beside him. A small white square rested near the teapot.

"I've brought tea," Okita said smiling. "And some medicine."

"Medicine?" she questioned. "What for?"

He continued smiling.

"For you," he answered. "It's an old Hijikata recipe. It's suppose it cure coughs and stop fatigue. I asked him to make it especially for you."

A larger grin lit up his face. He unwrapped a corner of the small square and prepared to pour the white powder in the teapot filled with steaming tea. _Oh, Okita,_ she thought as she smiled a small smile.

"But I don't need it," she replied. "I'm fine."

Her hand charmed the small parcel out of his fingers. She stood headed for the small trashcan sitting in the corner of her room. Okita snatched her hand. A grim look darkened his face.

"Don't lie to me," he whispered worriedly. "I see how you are when you come back from Shimabara. You're always tired. Feverish. You're a bit pale... And you're thinner than what you used to be."

She lowered her head her eyes hidden by her black hair. Megumi turned to him a small, sad smile on her face.

"Heh," she chuckled nervously. "I didn't think anyone noticed.. But I'm fine. It's only a small cold. I'm not sick."

Okita sighed.

"Please," he pleaded with a puppy-eyed look. "Just this once?"

Megumi chuckled.

"All right," she replied kneeling and pouring the white powder into the teapot. "Just this once."

He smiled and began pouring hot tea into the cups. They drank. A bitter taste flooded her mouth.

"Ugh," she groaned. "This is awful."

He chuckled sipping his cup.

"True, but they say medicine is good if it's bitter on the tongue," he smiled.

She smiled back.

"Yes.. I can tell it's working," she replied.

Okita smiled temporarily feeling his worries slip away with the bitter wash of tea.

"Seishin-san," Ayumu began. "I've got some breakfast."

As Ayumu set down the tray, he pounced on her squeezing the air out of her lungs in a crushing hug.

"Thank you, Ayumu-cchhaann!" he cried nuzzling her. "I was getting hungry!"

Ayumu giggled.

"Well you're very welcome," she replied wrapping an arm around him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get cooking for the rest of the men."

Seishin nodded and pecked her cheek. Smiling, Ayumu stood and padded out the door headed for the kitchen to make morning meals. He continued eating contently.

He crept around the bushes his black dreadlocks catching in the leaves and branches. He hummed an anthem from his dark colored lips. His head popped out hearing a familiar voice. _Ooh! It's Okita-kun! _He grinned. He continued staring.

Okita's light blue uniform swished and fluttered as he padded through the walkways headed for her room. She walked out carrying a small folded bundle in her hands.

"Megumi-chan," Okita called out trotting up. ".. Are you leaving now?"

She turned to him smiling a small sad smile. The cherry blossom hairpin in her hair jingled as the silver beads collided.

"Hai.." she replied lowering her head. "I'm off early.. And.. I've gotten no cases.. So.. Are you still on duty?"

He smiled nodding. He placed a kiss on her cheek. She blushed.

"Just be careful ne?" he asked.

She nodded a small smile coming to her lips.

"Ooh!" a voice suddenly cried out. "What a cute little couple you make! When did you meet her, Okita-kun!"

They turned. A tall man dressed in a white kimono and a black haori with a cowboy hat stood before them. His gray pants blew in the breeze. His black dreadlocks blew in the breeze littered with leaves from the bushes. Dark circle sunglasses hid his eyes. Okita glared a cold smirk coming to his face.

"Thank you, Sakamoto Ryoma" he replied the cold look still shining in his eyes. "You do realize I'm still on duty don't you?"

He placed two fingers in his lips and blew. A loud screeching whistle echoed through the compound. The men came running surrounding the dread-locked man. Sakamoto winked as he pulled out a shining silver pistol. Okita gently pushed Megumi behind him still glaring. Sakamoto pointed his gun and spun around slowly taking aim. A shot rang out. A solider fell to the ground clutching his leg.

Okita growled. Another shot rang out. Megumi jumped dropping her smoking bundle as hair ornaments, torn pieces of a silk kimono, and brushes went flying.

Shots continued ringing. Soldiers fell crying out in pain. Quickly, Megumi rushed into her room grabbing a few supplies. She pushed past Okita and made her way to a wounded solider.

"Megumi-san! No!" Okita cried.

As she knelt beside a soldier, she stopped. A cold pistol barrel pressed against her temple. Slowly, she turned staring frightened down the dark chute. Sakamoto waved his finger. Okita pulled out his sword. He let out a quiet growl.

"Get away from her!" he cried.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he chided grinning. "You shouldn't do that, Pretty Lady. Okita wouldn't want to see your pretty hairpin covered in blood... Ah well.. I must be going!"

He leaped up to the high wall and turned back.

"Tell the Dragon Boy and Iron Boy I said 'Hi'!" he grinned jumping down to the other side.

"After him!" Okita cried. "Don't worry about his gun! Just go!"

The other soldiers rushed out after him. Okita rushed to her side.

"Daijoubu ka!" he questioned frantically.

"H-hai," she replied shakily. "Just a bit shaken."

He nodded helping her to her feet. She smiled shuddering nervously in his arms.

"All right!" she commanded. "Those who can stand on their own help the wounded in my office! I'll take care of all of you there."

The wounded soldiers nodded as they stood and slowly made their way to her office. Megumi walked to her blown open bundle. She sighed. _Fix the boys. Then go to Shimabara,_ she thought sighing another sigh. _At least I get to go there a little later._

She trudged into the barracks her sickly pale skin standing out in the dark night. Megumi wiped the sweat off her burning forehead. She let out a loud harsh cough.

"Oi!" Nagakura cried out gleefully. "Megumi-chan! We were looking for you!"

"Yea," Harada grinned.

Todou nodded.

"We were hoping you'd come out to dinner with us," the third Joker added.

She turned to them feeling her head start to spin. The three blurry figures seemed to speak in a foreign tongue. A strange foreigner stepped up to her.

"Hey.." Harada began worriedly. "Are you all right? You look feverish.."

She groaned suddenly feeling her legs being cut out from under her by an invisible axe. Harada rushed to her side and caught her.

"Megumi-chan!" Nagakura and Todou cried.

"Get a doctor!" Harada commanded. "Tell the commanders!"

Nagakura nodded and ran off.

Laughter echoed through the small room as Okita, Hijikata, Yamanami, and Kondou sipped their sake. Hijikata blew out a long puff of smoke from his opium pipe. Suddenly, the door slid open slamming hard into the stopper. Outside, Nagakura stood panting. The turned.

"GET A DOCTOR!" he cried frantically.

Kondou laughed.

"But Megumi-san is a doctor!" he grinned making the others chuckle.

Nagakura groaned.

"That's why we need the doctor! She's sick!" he exclaimed.

Immediately, the laughter stopped.

_Megumi! _Okita's mind raced. Quickly, he stood and rushed out of the room.

"Megumi!" Okita called out worriedly.

Kondou gulped.

"I'll go get Matsumoto!" he worried heading out the door hurriedly making his way into town.

Hijikata and Yamanami rushed after Okita.

She laid on the tatami floor wrapped in a blanket. Ayumu knelt beside her barely conscious form as she wrung out a small rag the cold water drizzling back into the bowl. Folding the rag, Ayumu placed it gently on Megumi's scorching head. She stirred. Gently, Seishin cradled her head and placed a small cup of water to her lips.

"Drink," he whispered as her mouth opened slightly.

Cool water slid down her throat only to be spat out with a slew of coughs. Okita slid to a stop just outside the open sliding door.

"MEGUMI!" he cried rushing in and sitting at her side.

"Shh," Ayumu hushed. "I'd say she needs rest."

Okita nodded. The Jokers sat around her as Hijikata and Yamanami walked inside. Slowly, men gathered hearing the commotion. Tetsunosuke walked in rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Tatsunosuke followed.

"Nani? What's going on?" Tetsunosuke asked rubbing his eyes.

"Oh it's nothing," Ayumu smiled. "Megumi has just come down with a slight fever."

Then, tall and with a shaggy beard and a monocle, he walked in.

"Now, now!" he began. "What's all this commotion about?"

"Ah! Matsumoto-san!" Ayumu greeted smiling. "She's right here. She's just got a small fever of sorts."

Matsumoto nodded. He sat beside her and pried open a barely conscious eye. She groaned. _Hm.. _He thought worriedly quickly pulling her kimono open. Purple splotches littered her chest. She groaned again. Matsumoto turned to the others worriedly.

"Tell me..." he said. "Has this woman been to Shimabara lately?"

"Nah," Nagakura replied waving his hand nonchalantly. "Megumi would never go there! She's a good woman!"

Todou and Harada nodded. Other nods murmurs came from around the room. Worriedly, Okita looked away. He leaned in close and tapped the doctor's shoulder.

"She works there sometimes," he whispered. "Please don't tell. She's really embarrassed about it."

"Megumi-san," he began. "How many men did you serve today?"

She groaned as he lifted her head gently.

"Too many too count," she murmured laying her head back down on her pillow.

Matsumoto nodded. He remained silent. He turned toward the others.

"Could all the people in this room leave except for Okita?" he asked.

The others nodded and slowly filed out of the room. Matsumoto sighed.

"It's just as I thought," he said softly. "It's the new disease running rampant in Shimabara. We don't know much about it, but I mimics other diseases and is passed on to others when one has too much sex. There is no cure yet. We haven't found one. I'm afraid..."

He trailed off. He sighed.

_"Megumi-san will die."_


	8. Matters of the Heart pt 8 Life and Death

Matters of the Heart pt. 8 Life and Death

Ayumu pulled her ear away from the wall. A shocked hand covered her mouth. _She's dying.._ She thought worriedly.

"It wouldn't be wise to listen," Seishin murmured.

"Shh," she replied. "I won't tell anyone. Don't worry."

He nodded.

Okita's world crumbled around him. Matsumoto's words rang in his ears. He turned away tears shining in sad brown eyes.

"Megumi-chan is going to die..." He whispered.

Matsumoto stared. _Chan?_ He wondered. Okita let out a quiet gasp.

"Uh.. -S-san.. San.. I meant -san. Megumi-san," he replied stuttering.

The doctor shook his head. He sighed.

"I can give you this," he said pulling out a small a small dark glassed jar. "It can't cure it, but it will help with some of the symptoms. Otherwise, keep clean, and make sure she stays away from Shimabara."

He took the small jar and nodded. Then, a sudden thought came to him. _What if I.. Too.._ He wondered.

"Anou," he began. "May I have some more of that medicine?"

Matsumoto nodded and pulled out another small jar from his sleeve. Okita took it nodding slowly. His sad brown eyes continued watching her barely slumbering form. The doctor stood and walked slowly for the door. A bitterly optimistic smile lit up his face. Sliding the door open, he walked outside.

"Minna-san," He began laughing heartily. "She's going to be o.k.!"

Cheers and hollers resounded from the men. Matsumoto let out a convincing laugh as the men slowly dissipated. Kondou walked up and patted his shoulder.

"That's good to hear, my old friend," he smiled. "Very good to hear. Thank you."

Matsumoto nodded smiling. He turned. Susumu matched his gaze. Matsumoto walked over to him. With a few silent whispers, Susumu nodded and walked off. Matsumoto let out another sigh. (Author's note: just so you know. Peacemaker vol. 3 manga. Matsumoto takes Susumu as his apprentice and teaches him and tells him _everything _about the patients. Thus, they both know about Okita's tuberculosis and for the fic Megumi's STD.)

"Okita-kun," she whispered. "Don't listen to him. I'm a doctor too. I'll be fine."

Okita nodded.

"Yes," he began sadly. "But sometimes it's best to have a third opinion because sometimes one doesn't want to burden others. Now lets have you take some medicine, ne?"

Megumi sighed nodding slowly as Okita prepared the medicine.

The warm sun shining through the paper screen stirred her from her dreams. Slowly, she turned feeling a cool shadow sit by her side. Okita smiled down on her.

"Good morning," he smiled.

"Morning," she smiled back. "What.. Are you doing here?"

"You passed out last night," he replied. "I wanted to be here when you woke up. So I stayed the whole night."

At her shocked and worried look, his smile grew.

"Don't worry," he lied convincingly. "I slept."

She nodded. Stretching, he stood and slowly opened the door and stepped out. He turned back with a smile on his face.

"If I start now," he grinned. "I can still make it to the bakery for the _good _pastries. Then, we can have breakfast together!"

He trotted out the door and made his way into town. Hijikata walked by arching an eyebrow at Okita's open kimono, pulled back hair, and his swords clacking at his side. He smirked and nodded approvingly to himself. _Now if he would always dress like that, _he thought. He stopped. _Wait, _he began again. _Why is he dressed like that? _He turned looking into the open room Okita had left. She laid on her futon turned away from the bright morning sun. Hijikata smirked and nodded another approving nod.

A line meandered out the bakery door. Eagerly, Okita waited just inside the door.

"Okita-san!" a small voice cried making him turn.

He smiled as a set of children walked inside.

"Okita-san can you come out and play later?" a small girl asked.

He smiled.

"I'd love to, but I can't," he smiled. "I'm getting something for someone."

"Ooh! Who?" the boy asked.

"It's for a friend of mine. Do you want to meet her?" he asked his smile growing.

"YEA!" the children cried eagerly.

Okita continued smiling as he walked up to the counter. The baker handed him a small box filled with two pastries. His smile growing, he dropped a set of coins on the counter and walked out. The children followed eagerly.

Her door stood closed. He slid the door open with a large smile on his face. She stood her back turned away dressing in a purple kimono. He blushed. Quickly, he walked over.

"Ah! You should be lying down, Megumi-san," he smiled placing a hand on her shoulder making her turn. "You need to rest."

"But I'm fine," she insisted. "I'm much better compared to yesterday."  
"I know," Okita said pulling her towards her futon. "But just rest a little bit more ne?"

She chuckled nodding. A smile stayed on her face.

"Hai, hai, wakarimashita yes, yes, I understand," she replied spotting four shadows standing in her doorway. "Are they friends of yours?"

Okita turned.

"Hai," he replied motioning for the children to come inside. "They're some of the local children."

As the eager and curious children crowded around them, Megumi and Okita smiled. Okita stood and opened up a window letting warm sunlight cherry blossom petals flying into the dim room. The children grinned.

"Are you Okita-san's wife?" a girl asked smiling.

"Iie no," she replied blushing.

"Well, not yet anyway," Okita suddenly added chuckling.

Her blush darkened.

"Wow!" another girl cried excitedly. "Are you gonna marry her Okita-san!"

Okita sat at Megumi's side and took her hand in his.

"I hope to," he smiled the sadness shining in his eyes. "And I hope to have lots of children with her.. Someday.."

Her blush turned even darker. A barely noticeable sad smile grew on her pale sickly face. The innocent girls in the group of children swooned. He turned to her and smiled placing a small peck on her cheek. She let out a quiet cough. Quickly, Okita pulled the small box of pastries in his lap.

"Here," he smiled quickly unpacking a pair of warm dumplings. "I've got breakfast. Then you can get some medicine."

".. Thank you," she replied a light blush still tinging her cheeks.

Inwardly and to herself, she let out a quiet sigh. She smiled and pulled a piece off the succulent treat.

Days passed. He laid in his bed thinking as the rest of the compound slept soundly. He stared at the ceiling feeling the same foreign, destroying feeling flowing through his veins. He sighed. _Another sleepless night ne? _He thought to himself. He nodded.

He stayed diligently by her side following her worriedly. Matsumoto's words rang in his ears. _Make sure she stays away from Shimabara,_ the words said running in the monologue in his head. He let out a tired yawn. He sighed spotting a small purple mark peeking out from under his kimono. Two small bottles of medicine sat on his room's desk, one the small dark glass jar, and a small clear glass jar filled with white powder. _One for this tuberculosis.. and one for the sickness I got from Megumi-chan. . _he thought quietly picking up the two small bottles in one hand. He looked out into the darkening twilight sky and sighed. _It's o.k. I have no time for this anyway,_ he thought again setting down the bottles. _I have too much other work I need to do, that I've neglected. No time.. No time to sleep.. No time to eat._ Slowly, he stood and walked out swaying tiredly.

Blurringly, he watched a figure rush out from her room carrying a small bundle of clothing. _Was that?_ He wondered. He swayed. Sickly, he stumbled toward her office and opened up the door.

"Megumi-chan?" he called out to the empty room as he walked inside. "She's not here.."

He swayed plopping down beside her desk and a small wastebasket. He peered inside. A shadowed figure stood in the doorway. Okita turned. Susumu stared inside.

"Where is Megumi-san?" he asked suspiciously.

Okita let out a tired chuckle.

"She's working apparently," he replied smiling as he pulled out the small dark glassed jar from the waste basket.

Susumu narrowed his eyes.

"Working where?" he asked.

Okita chuckled again.

"Well, it wouldn't be my business to say," he answered grinning.

Susumu nodded.

"Really," he replied coldly. "Well, do you realize that it is my business to make sure you both _take your medicines_ and to make that woman _stay away from Shimabara?_"

Okita's eyes went wide. He gasped.

"Megumi came from a decent samurai family," he continued. "You wouldn't want her to commit seppuku. Do you?"

Susumu turned and walked away slipping his hands into the sleeves of his kimono. Okita rushed out. He stopped as Kondo walked up.

"Ah, Okita-kun," he greeted with a grin.

"Ah," he replied bowing. "Do forgive me. I believe I haven't been attending to my duties much lately."

Kondo laughed.

"Ah don't worry about it," he grinned. "You do enough for us as it is. Why don't you have a night off. The cherry blossom festival is tonight in town. Why don't you take Megumi-san? She might like that."

Okita nodded blushing lightly.

"Hai, I'll go do that," he replied smiling as best he good.

Quickly, he ran to Shimabara. He pounded loudly on the brothel door. A geisha girl answered.

"Is Megumi-san here!" he asked urgently.

"Iie, she and her apprentices left a few minutes ago," she replied smiling.

"Where are they!" he panicked.

"They all went to the Cherry Blossom festival in town," she explained her innocent smile still on her face.

Her innocent smile turned into a seductive grin.

"But I could easily entertain you just as well, Okita-sama," she purred her nails running on the edge of his loose and open kimono brushing against the creamy skin of his chest.

"Sorry!" he cried suddenly running off. "I've got no time!"

The geisha girl stared with an envious pout on her face.

"Megumi-san!" Yumi cried as she held up a flopping fish on a sieve. "Megumi-san! Look what I got!" (Author's note: this is the Japanese version of our 'toss the ball into a bowl and win a fish' game. But in Japan one catches fish with a racket like net where the paper on the racket can break easily with the water's wetness and the flopping fish. And instead of a large table filled with paper or water filled fish bowls, the fish are in a large basin or kiddie pool of water. In addition to winning fish, one can win rubber balls and small toys.)

Giggling, Megumi smiled patting the smaller girl's head.

"Congratulations, Yumi-chan!" she laughed.

"Megumi-san! Megumi-san!" Kagome cried tugging on Megumi's yukata sleeves. "I wanna try and win a yo-yo!" (Author's note: yukata kimono but not lined or layered used during summer. Made of cotton. Japanese yo-yo's are balloons filled with water and attached to what resembles a snapped rubber-band with a loop tied to the end. They sometimes are sold in malls in some of the shop stands. Game set up is similar to the fish. a large basin or kiddie pool of water but to win one must try to latch onto the loop at the end of the rubber-band with a hook and string that can once again easily break with the weight of the yo-yo and the water.)

Megumi turned and nodded. Yumi grinned at the bagged fish in her hands.

"Hai, hai," she replied standing and taking a set of small hands in hers. "I don't see why not."

"Yay!" Kagome and Yumi cried running off dragging Megumi along as she giggled.

Kagome and Yumi leaned over the edge of the pool watching balloons float by as Megumi handed the vendor a set of coins.


	9. Matters of the Heart pt 9 Spring\'s Even...

Matters of the Heart pt. 9 Spring's Festival

Okita pushed his way through the crowds of cherry blossom onlookers.

"Megumi-chan!" he called as he leaned against the trunk of a tree panting.

He looked around and continued pushing through the sea of people.

"Well girls," Megumi smiled. "Why don't we get some mochi? Then, we can go find a spot and watch the blossoms and the fireworks. Hm?"

"Yea!" Yumi cried eagerly her fish swimming in her bag.

"Can we get sakura mochi?" Kagome asked bouncing a yo-yo. (Author's note: sakura mochi and mochi are small rice balls filled with red bean paste, or at least the one I had did. Sakura mochi is the same as the mochi but with cherry flavoring making it read and is wrapped in the cherry blossom leaves. "Sakura" means "Cherry Blossom" just so you know.")

"Hai," she smiled tiredly again as they began walking.

Then, her coughing started. A hard and violent cough forced its way from her throat. She gasped and collapsed to her knees her cough worsening. Yumi and Kagome turned.

"Megumi-san?" asked Kagome worriedly. "Megumi-san? Are you o.k.?"

She continued coughing. Her hand covered her mouth as vomit and bile pushed through her fingers. The two girl rushed to her side pulling at her sleeves. People turned.

"Megumi-san! Megumi-san!" they cried.

"What's wrong?" Yumi whimpered.

"Hey!" a man suddenly cried. "This woman's sick! Someone get a doctor!"

Kagome and Yumi whimpered clinging to her. Another woman walked up and pulled them close.

"Now, now," she comforted stroking their hair. "Your mother is gonna be o.k."

They looked up at her with a questioning look.

"But.." Kagome began. "She's--"

A familiar looking man pushed through the crowd hearing the commotion. Yumi gasped. Okita stopped. He stared. _Megumi-chan! _He thought.

"Bishonen-san!" Yumi cried running to Okita and tugging at his kimono.

Kagome rushed over and pounded desperately on his legs.

"Bishonen-san!" Kagome cried. "Something's wrong with Megumi-san! What happened! What did you do to her!"

A light blush tinged Okita's cheeks. He smiled a small comforting smile and quickly rushed to her side lifting her into his arms. She looked up to him gasping.

"O-okita-kun," she coughed violently.

"It'll be o.k.," he whispered sadly suddenly rushing off pushing through the crowds.

Kagome and Yumi followed running as fast as they could.

Okita burst through Matsumoto's door.

"Matsumoto-san!" he cried. "She's sick!"

Matsumoto turned and rushed over taking her from Okita's grasp. Gently, he laid her in a futon and covered her with a blanket. Kagome and Yumi sat beside her.

The sweat dripped off her forehead as she panted, gasped, and coughed. She groaned. Okita knelt close by. Matsumoto sighed as he began finished his paperwork. When he finished, he knelt beside him.

"Okita-san, I can only do so much," he sighed. "It seems her symptoms are getting worse. It won't much longer now until she finally dies. Has she been taking her medicines?"

Ashamed, Okita turned away. Matsumoto nodded. He sighed again.

"Well," he began. "I'll make some of that medicine I gave you, but like I said, it won't cure her disease, but it will help a bit with the symptoms."

Okita paled and slowly nodded. Quietly, he coughed turning paler.

"Excuse me," he whispered suddenly rushing out.

He rushed into the dark night and slipped stealthily into a dark alleyway. He doubled over in a hard set of coughs. The blood gushed from his mouth. He vomited. Tears shined in his eyes. _It won't be much longer now.. _The clanging words pounded in his thoughts making his head ache and spin. Shakily, he stood and walked back inside wiping his bloodstained hands on his white kimono. Matsumoto looked up and sighed again.

"Tell me, Okita," he began. "Now have _you_ been taking your medicine?"

He lowered his head. She laid turned away listening quietly and watching with half-lidded eyes. An arm draped lazily over the two sleeping girls.

"No," he replied quietly. "I've got no time."

The doctor nodded and led Okita to another futon as Megumi pretended to sleep. Turning away, Matsumoto walked out and began preparing a set of medicines. Her eyes opened.

"O-okita?" she whispered weakly.

He turned.

"Megumi-chan," he smiled softly.

She lowered her eyes.

"I heard everything," she whispered worriedly. "Why didn't you tell me that you had tuberculosis?"

He shrugged letting out a quiet chuckle.

"I guess.." he began. "I just.. didn't want to burden you."

She smiled. _Time to come to terms with your fate old girl, _she thought to herself.

"You could never burden me, Okita-kun," she replied as she nodded.

He smiled and walked over to her futon tiredly. He slipped into her covers asKagome and Yumi slept soundly. He took her hand in his.

"At least," he began sadly tears starting to form in his eyes. "My first was to a beauty of a highest degree."

She smiled a tear slipping down her cheeks and soaking into the pillow.

"But this beauty's made you sicker, and she's not going to be around for much longer," she whispered a steady stream of tears overflowing from her brown eyes.

His hand gripped hers tighter. He pulled her close embracing her and the two girls into a tight embrace.

"I don't want you to die," he whimpered his tears mixing with hers on the pillow. "Not ever."

She rested her head on his chest. She sighed.

"It's inevitable, Okita .. Inevitable."

Matters of the Heart Side Story 3: Once Upon the Cherry Blossoms, the First Meeting

**From all directions  
Winds bring petals of cherry  
Into the grebe lake**

Matsuo Basho, a poet

The Jokers and Okita sat under the budding cherry tree cups of sake in their hands. Laughter echoed through the compound. Three sets of swords rested near the legs of their owners.

"Oi, Okita," Nagakura called out. "I don't get it. Why don't you carry your sword around? You're the only one who doesn't do it."

Okita smiled.

"Well, there's really no point to it," he began munching at the candy on a stick in his hand. "Why on earth carry a sword when it's not needed? Besides it gets in the way when I play tag and things with the children."

The Jokers rolled their eyes and continued drinking.

"Hey," Todou said suddenly as he overturned an empty box of dumplings. "We're out of stuff to eat."

Okita stood smiling.

"Ah.." he began lifting Saizou with him. "I'll go find something for us."

He turned away and started walking. Then, as Okita disappeared from sight, two loud cries and a squeal broke through the quiet compound. The Jokers ran stopping to watch just behind a tree.

"Ah!" Okita cried blushing with a grin on his face. "Gomen ne! I didn't see you there."

He rubbed his head. He looked up and found a woman rubbing her backside.

"Daijoubu desu!" she smiled. "I guess.. We were just both in a hurry."

Okita:

Yes.. In a hurry. We were all in a hurry... Hurry to do our duty... Hurry to protect and save those ones we care for.. Yet no matter how we hurry.. The hurried hands of time will always be faster...

I remember it clearly as though it were yesterday. It was a few weeks ago when the cherry blossoms were preparing to bloom. The buds were on the trees. Winter snows were melting, and the weather was turning warmer. I was on my way to find food for my friends and I, and I bumped into you. Literally...

You got the job of the Shinsengumi doctor. I was glad for you.. Though then.. I didn't know why. The next few days went in a blur with the thick blossoms of the cherry trees. It was heaven. I visited your office often.. Heh.. Even though I wasn't sick. We talked long conversations in the spring afternoons the blossoms blooming around us. I didn't realize then, but.. Something else was blooming with those blossoms...

Did you know...

... In the far west, there is a poem by a man called "How Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day?" This man, Shakespeare, compares a beloved to a beautiful morning of summer.. But... I'd like to wonder... how shall I compare You, my Megumi-chan, to a cherry blossom? There are times when I can't help but smile at the thought... The other times.. It makes me want to cry...

Your life is slowly slipping away with the snow of cherry blossoms... Our love just only began blooming with them. The fleeting beauty of cherry blossoms only last for a short time, and it seems so will our love... There are days... When I see you.. Sitting on the walk way.. Watching the start of pink snow flurry by. A smile is on your face. I see, and can't help but think.. You're smiling at the fairies who are draining your life away. I see.. and I am helpless...

(Author's note: There is a lot of symbolism in this chapter. If you don't get it, I'll point it out. These also make a few appearances in other chapters.)

**Megumi and the cherry blossoms**: cherry blossoms are a Japanese flower that blooms and dies within a week during sometime in the spring. The buds on the trees that were mentioned can be compared to Okita's and Megumi's meeting. The blossoms is the start of their feelings and what happens during the time they're together. The blossoms slowly falling from the trees is equivalent to Megumi's life slipping away until the trees are bare of anything but empty branches. That shall be Megumi's Death.

**Cherry blossoms and Snow and Winter**: if you've noticed in poetry authors compare themselves to seasons. The spring is when their born or in this case a first meeting, summer their childhood and early adulthood starting of one's love and during their affair, fall middle age the love will start to age or in Megumi's case will start to get sick, and winter is when the author is old and will soon die. Or a great sadness has occurred. Megumi's illness gets worse. The cherry blossom snow more or less follows the winter format.

**Cherry blossom and the flower fairies**: "Cherry blossoms, Cherry blossoms, whom are you taking tonight?" Part of a Haiku by Madoka Mayuzumi. It is said that during the cherry blossom time, one can hear of someone's death. The Japanese believe the flower fairies are taking that person with them as the cherry blossoms fall.


	10. Matters of the Heart pt 10 Dying Loves

Matters of the Heart pt. 10 Dying I Love You's

Days passed as more of the cherry blossoms began to fall. Megumi sat in her office coughing and watching the pink snow flutter by and through her windows. The wind blew in softly causing the beads in her cherry blossom hairpin to collide and jingle.

Watching, he stood in the doorway with sad eyes. _She really loves that hairpin I gave her.._ He thought longingly. _Her condition is getting worse too.._ Saizou sat frowning in his arms. Slowly, Okita walked away. Saizou glared up at him with a questioning look.

"I bet you're wondering why I'm like this aren't you?" he asked to the pig.

Saizou oinked and seemed to nod. A small depressed smile lit his pale face. He hugged the small pig.

"Oh, Saizou," he confided whimpering. "I don't think you could ever understand."

A hot tear dripped down the piglet's back. Curiously, Saizou oinked.

Ayumu sighed stirring a pot. Seishin wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Just thinking," she replied. "... About Megumi-chan and Okita-kun."

Seishin nodded.

"I know," he replied pecking her cheek. "I've got a feeling this will end in the most tragic way imaginable."

Ayumu nodded placing a hand on his wrapped arms.

"You..." she began worriedly. "Don't think anything like that would happen to us.. Do you?"

Seishin pulled away and gave her a look. Hopefully, he smiled.

"Nah," he replied. "I won't be that easy to get rid of. And I'll always protect you."

Ayumu smiled feeling a comforting feeling settling in her stomach.

The men sat patiently as Kondo paced in front of them. They listened. Tetsunosuke walked around serving tea.

"Boys we've found the Choshu hideout," he began sternly. "Knowing that they've been planning to set fire to the capital, we've decided it would be best to raid them before they could put any plan into motion."

Nods and whispers went through the tatami room in a wave.

"May I come this time?" Okita asked smiling.

"Of course, Okita-kun," Kondo grinned. "The more the merrier!"

Slowly, his grin faded. He let out a sigh his expression turning dark.

"Remember..." he commanded darkly. "If anyone doesn't cooperate, kill them without hesitation."

Yamanami and Hijikata stood walking up to Kondo's side.

"Now," Yamanami said kindly as he smiled and fixed his glasses. "Eat. Rest. Do what you must. We'll have a long night ahead of us."

The men nodded and slowly dispersed murmurings weaving through them. The compound training halls quickly came to life with the loud clacking and crashing of wood and bamboo swords and spears. A dark and demonic air surrounded them.

Megumi walked around the compound and peered into the training halls. _The men are all busy tonight. Okita too.._ She thought pulling the small bundle of clothing and hairpins close to her chest. _I'll go.. One last trip to Shimabara. I just need a little more money... _Quickly, she ran off leaving the compound behind.

As she walked inside the brothel door, she stopped.

"Where have you been!" scolded another geisha girl. "You and your apprentices were needed several minutes ago!"

"Huh?" she asked confused.

The girl sighed.

"Just get changed quickly, and go to this address with your girls," she commanded handing her a small slip of folded paper. "The men there are waiting. The others needed have already left."

"But what about Akesato-san?" she asked. "She and her girls are more popular with the men than I am."

"Akesato isn't available tonight," the other girl replied. "Now get going! Those men from _Choshu_ won't serve themselves you know."

_Choshu! _She thought shocked.

She studied the small slip of paper and nodded quickly running off to change and gather her girls.

Kondo, Nagakura, Okita, Harada, Todou, Hijikata, and Yamanami stood outside the inn door their swords unsheathed and glimmering in the dim lantern and full moonlight. The troops waited with them.

Inside, Kagome and Yumi grinned as they served tea and sake in long flowing red and gold kimono. Sounds of a shamisen and a girl's singing filled the room. Tiredly, Megumi followed a man into a room slowly shutting the door behind her. Quickly and eagerly, the drunken man pushed her down on a futon and sloppily pulled her kimono open. She turned away suppressing the cough in her throat. The man continued to ravage her.

Then, Kondo slammed the door open he and the others rushing inside.

"THIS IS A RAID! THIS BUILDING IS UNDER SHINSENGUMI CONTROL FOR THE NIGHT!" he yelled as the men in the room glared. "ANYONE WHO DOESN'T COOPERATE WILL NOT TO TOLERATED AND SHALL BE KILLED IMMEDIATELY!"

The men charged quickly filling the inn with the sounds of clashing and clanging swords and screaming. Men fell to the ground at the Shinsengumi's feet. Screaming geisha girls ran as the men quickly cut them down. Waves of blood stained the white and paper walls.

They ran through the halls their hands intertwined in one another. Yumi slipped on her blood streaked kimono. Frightened, she sniffed tears suddenly running down her face.

"Kagome," she whimpered wiping her eyes. "What's happening? This never happens back in the brothel."

Kagome watched her sadly.

"I don't know," she replied worriedly. "But we gotta find Megumi-san.. She'll know what to do."

The soft shuffling of tatami sandals suddenly stopped behind them. They gasped a chill running down their spine. Slowly, they turned. A red-haired man with a bandage o his nose towered above them with a cold glare in his eyes. They whimpered clinging to each other. Nagakura smirked a cold smirk. He raised his sword as it glimmered crimson in the dim hallway. Kagome and Yumi screamed as the blood soaked blade fell.

A silence followed.

Megumi's eyes went wide as her client's blood splattered over her naked skin and the cherry blossom hairpin in her hair. His limp body collapsed onto her. She screamed managing to push him off. Covered with the drying blood, Harada smirked coldly down at her. Nagakura went flying through the door following the limp body of another Choshu member.

She gasped. Harada aimed. His stabbing spear went flying for her.

"HARADA-SAN YAMETE (Stop!)!" she screamed as recognition flashed in his eyes.

Harada stopped stumbling clumsily over. He stared. A jaw dropped. Nagakura turned and got a good look.

"Megumi?" Nagakura asked bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

Quickly, she dressed not fixing a disheveled kimono. Tears shined in her eyes and ran down her face.

"I was working," she whimpered rushing out of the room.

"Oi!" Harada cried.

"Wait!" Nagakura yelled rushing out to where the others were. "Guys! Megumi's here!"

"WHAT!" Okita worried, as he rushed in and sliced an enemy in half.

"Why!" Todou asked shocked.

"Yea!" Nagakura replied. "She said she was working."

A dark figure loomed over Nagakura's head. Quickly, Okita cut a deep gash into the figures chest. He screamed his blood flying. In the back of his mind, Okita hesitantly pushed his worries out of his way.

"This isn't over yet!" he commanded. "Don't lose focus!"

They glared the demons shining in their eyes. The other men surrounded them. They charged in the men quickly falling at their feet.

"KAGOME! YUMI!" Megumi called out desperately. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

She stumbled through the dark hallway. Leaning against the wall, she stopped. Harsh and unmerciful coughs escaped her. She winced in pain.

"KAGOME-CHAN! YUMI-CHAN!" she screamed. "ANSWER ME!"

She stumbled along coughing loudly. Then, she slipped. More dark and fresh blood soaked into her bloody kimono. She gasped. Two small girls laid drowning in a pool of blood at her feet. Rapids of tears flooded from her eyes as she let out a loud scream.

Okita turned.

"Shimatta!" he cursed running out of the room. "MEGUMI!"

She let out another cry as two Shinsengumi men grabbed her and restrained her. Another man prepared his blade and charged in.

"STOP!" Okita cried skidding on his blood soaked sandals.

"But, Okita-dono," a man said turning to him. "She's the last one!"

The demon took its place in Okita's eyes.

"I said to stop," he replied deathly calm.

"Take a good look boys," Nagakura said walking in slowly.

The men turned and stared at the blood covered woman. They gasped.

"Megumi-hakase!" (Author's note: '-hakase' is an ending attached to words meaning 'doctor' so basically they're saying 'Dr. Megumi!') the men cried quickly letting her go.

Tiredly, she groaned slumping onto the wooden floor. Okita sighed a bitter relief coming over him. Then, Hijikata, Yamanami, and Kondo walked it. Okita turned with the other captains slowly making their way to make reports. The subordinates began cleaning up the bloody scene. Shakily, Megumi stood. Hijikata, Kondo, and Yamanami stared with shocked looks on their faces. She smirked watching them out of the corner of her eye. _The truth is out.. _she thought quietly as she turned away ashamed.

Smiling a small, comforting smile, Okita took a step toward her.

A painful cough started. Wincing, she collapsed. The coughs wracked her body. Vomit spurted from her mouth.

"Oi!" Harada began worriedly. "Is she all right!"

"O-okita-kun," she coughed out.

Okita rushed to her side and pulled her close. As his eyes started shining with tears, he wiped the sweat away from her brow and the traces of bile and vomit from the corners of her mouth.

"Please be o.k. ..." he whispered the misty shine in his eyes glowing brighter.

She looked up to him. A small smile crept to her lips as she shook her head. Okita frowned. Then, the hard and violent coughs resumed. Her body thrashed his arms.

"Megumi?" he whimpered as a small tear cascaded down his cheek.

She continued coughing.

"J-just," she began her coughs interrupting her speech. "Just hold me.."

He pulled her into a tight and desperate embrace, tears falling blatantly from his eyes. A weak hand rested itself on his cheek as she buried her face into his neck. Her coughing grew worse. Weakly, her mouth moved to his ear.

"Ai-aishi--" she whispered struggling through her coughs. "Ter—u..."

Another set of coughs interrupted. She gasped burying her face back into his neck. Her eyes quietly closed. Her hand on his cheek fell limply to her side. Watching, the others in the room grew silent. Sadly, they lowered their heads. Slowly, Okita pulled away studying her limp form.

". . . Megumi-chan?" he whispered gently shaking her. "Megumi-chan?"

A flood of tears gushed from his eyes as he continued rocking and shaking her.

"Megumi-chan," he sobbed.

Slowly, the Jokers walked up to him. Nagakura placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Okita-kun," he comforted. "But.. She's dead."

"No..." he realized whimpering.

The room and Okita's head began to spin from the excitement. He groaned suddenly collapsing onto the tatami floor.

(Author's note: Well... I was trying to make it to the end in this chapter, but it didn't work.. So stay tuned! Next chapter! Okita's reaction! Everyone's reaction! And what's this? Revenge! Seppuku! Hope this leaves you curious! Oh, and Megumi's last words "Aishiteru" "I love you.")


	11. Matters of the Heart pt 11 Loves's Rain

_"_The flowers wait for next Spring,  
Trusting that the same hands shall caress them.  
But men's hearts will no longer be the same,  
And you will only know that everything changes,  
O poor lovers."

Chinese Poem taken from an excerpt of _Nanshoku Okagami_

(Recently featured in Samurai Champloo episode 6 "Samurai Searching." Translates into "Great Mirror of Male Love".. Yes I know.. But this poem is oddly fitting wouldn't you say?)

Matters of the Heart pt. 11 Love's Rain and Oceans of Despair

Outside, the cherry blossoms began raining down in a final shower.

The men remained silent. Slowly, Harada walked over and began untangling Okita's arms from Megumi's lifeless form. Nagakura padded over slipping off his light blue jacket wrapping her body inside it. Sadly, Kondo and Yamanami sighed shaking their heads. Expressionless, Hijikata turned away walking off quietly. Kondo turned to a solider.

"Make sure this gets cleaned up," he said quietly. "Prepare one of the carts for Megumi-Chan's body. Okita, Harada, Todou, Nagakura, and I and Yamanami will start back."

The solider nodded as he started off. Nagakura hoisted the wrapped limp form into his arms and slowly walked out. Todou trailed behind. Harada followed Okita in his arms. Yamanami and Kondo padded quietly towards them. They waited just inside the door. Then, a loud rattling shook the screen door as the sad howling wind blew outside. Slowly, Kondo opened the rattling door. He gasped. The others stared shocked.

In the gray early morning, bare cherry trees stood as their pink blossoms smothered the ground. Saitou watched walking up behind them. A white translucent figure stood amidst the blossoms. A light wind blew making the pink snow and flower fairies dance around her. The figure turned.

"Megumi-san!" a small translucent girl called out as she ran towards her with another girl in tow.

Megumi smiled a sad smile kneeling and wrapping the two girls in an embrace. The snow and fairies swirled around them. Sadly, Saitou turned away bowing his head as he raised his hand in prayer.

"The cherry blossoms..." Kondo began shocked. "... They're gone.."

Ayumu rushed out meeting the others as they walked into the compound. She gasped at the wrapped figure on the cart. She turned to them with a questioning look. Sad nods went around. Ayumu nodded as she lowered her head.

Curls of white smoke wafted from his pipe as he puffed. Hijikata sat on a rooftop staring at the empty cherry blossom trees littering the landscape. Susumu flitted by. He stopped.

"Yamazaki," he began. "Is there anything new to know about Megumi?"

Susumu turned away. Visions flashed in his head as he began to speak.

Susumu:

I did as I was told. Hijikata asked me to follow you that afternoon.. Asked me to stalk you.. Research you. So I did. I dressed in my woman's kimono and began asking around. The leads and dead ends where all the same. Megumi Sohma. Of the fallen samurai family who knew much on medicine. I already knew that. Then, another lead suggested I try Shimabara. It wasn't hard to figure out what might be happening there...

That night I watched from a brothel rooftop and stared into the brothel you walked into. To be blunt, I was shocked as I watched drunk and disgruntled men ripped off your clothing and defiled you in ways I didn't think possible. And they never even entered you.. You denied them access to your last shred of innocence. You laid there pleasing them as they covered you in seed and other bodily fluids. I sighed. Beaten, defiled, and bruised, you painfully stood and went to clean yourself off. When you returned, you walked back into your room and sat crying on the floor. _Why?_ I wondered. Then, I saw. I leaped quietly and landed just outside your window. I watched two girls run in from a smaller room.

"Megumi-san!" the taller of the two asked. "Are you o.k.? You're crying!"

You pulled them close.

"It's o.k., girls," you replied tears still streaming down your face. "I've got another job. I'll work here and at the new job. We'll be out soon... Soon I promise.."

I turned and leaped away. This was something I wouldn't tell Hijikata. . . .

Slowly, Hijikata nodded. A puff of smoke escaped his lips as he sighed.

Gently, Harada laid Okita in his futon. Nagakura placed the bloody hairpin beside his sleeping form. The Jokers slowly walked out.

"Hey," Todou began as he stopped under a bare cherry tree. "Remember? This was the tree we sat under the day Okita met Megumi for the first time."

A light smile came to their faces.

"Yea!" Nagakura grinned. "And there's the tree where we went spying on them!"

Harada chuckled.

"And remember all the times, we'd fake sick just to get into her office and out of our duties for a while!" he laughed. "Shinpachi would always try to flirt!"

"We all did!" Todou laughed.

They laughed. An unsettling and sad silence filled the gray atmosphere. Lowering their heads, they turned away as the wind ran its fingers through their softly billowing hair.

Kondo stood at the open door and stared outside. Yamanami watched sitting on the floor behind him.

"It looks like it might rain, wouldn't you say Yamanami-kun?" he asked.

Yamanami nodded.

"It's so dreary," he replied. "It's quite depressing."

"Yes," Kondo said. ".. And in more ways than one..."

A tear slipped down Ayumu's cheek. Seishin wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"It'll be all right," he whispered into her ear.

She nodded.

"I know it will be," she began. "But.. I.. We.. We just got to be good friends.."

"I know," he whispered again. "I think everyone just got to be good friends with her..."

Tetsunosuke sat on the rooftop staring down at the compound. Tatsunosuke slowly climbed up.

"Gomen ne, Tetsu," he began as he sat beside him wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "I guess.. I should've let you just run in that race, ne? ... I wonder how Okita-kun will take it... He's kinda like us now.. Losing something kinda precious and all."

Tetsunosuke nodded throwing his arms around the taller man. Tears slipped down his face. _Poor Okita-kun. ._ Tetsunosuke thought. _He didn't deserve that! It's not fair.. Not fair at all... _

He stirred the afternoon sky still gray as the clouds grew dark and heavy with rain. Tears rolled down the side of his face. A weak hand reached over feeling the cool futon sheets stopping as it felt the familiar form of the hairpin. He let out a quiet sob. He curled in his bed pulling the pin into a crushing embrace as a small rain of tears fell onto the bloodied pseudo cherry blossoms. _Megumi, _his mind whimpered. Saizou let out a quiet oink.

Okita:

Megumi's gone... Megumi-chan is gone.. I lay in my futon tears still streaming from my eyes. Outside, a pyre is being built in preparation of your cremation. A black hakama pant and haori and a gray kimono lie nearby. (Author's note: a hakama is something put over the lower half of a kimono used for dress and used to protect men's legs from brush burn when riding horses. It comes in a skirt or a pant. A haori is similar to a dress jacket of sorts.) The tears continue to fall as I embrace your hairpin tightly, the only thing left to remember you by. I grip my sheets tightly in sadness and annoyance. I feel as though **I'm going crazy**.. If only, you didn't have to work in that brothel.. If only you didn't have those girls. If only that _one_ client didn't make you sick... A realization comes to me... _That's it.._ _that client.. He did this to you.. He took you away from me... Of course.. I get it... This could never be your fault... It's all the brothels' fault. It's all the customers' fault... **If only, they weren't around... If only... they would just die...**_

A strangely sadistic grin lit his tear stained face. The demon eagerly shined in his eyes.

The men filled the tatami room. Incense burned. She seemed to sleep by the burners covered with a blanket her face covered by a veil. Ayumu wiped the tears from her eyes. Seishin took her hand in his in a tight comforting grip. The Jokers and commanders knelt silently. Saitou prayed. Nagakura looked around worriedly.

"Okita's late..." he whispered worriedly. "This isn't like him."

Harada, Tetsunosuke, and Todou nodded. Yamanami and Kondo cast one another worried looks. Hijikata sat expressionless smoke softly puffing from his pipe.

The door slid open. They turned. Sadly, dressed in a gray kimono, black hakama, and black haori, Okita stood in the doorway the hairpin in his hand. The sands of dried tears stained his cheeks. Empty dark eyes scanned the room. Slowly, he walked in sitting beside her covered head. A set of tears brushed the sands away. The Jokers stood making their way to his side. Harada placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry," Todou smiled sadly. "We're all gonna miss her."

Their eyes misted with tears. Okita lowered his head as his tears rained down from his dark eyes. He reached out placing the bloody pin in her hair. Pink and rust colored flowers peeked out from under her veil.

Sadly, Yamanami and Kondo stared. From the corner of his eye, Hijikata watched stoically and sternly.

Ayumu rested her head on Seishin's shoulder. He pulled her close.

Okita's soft sobs filled the room. A pale translucent figure watched him sadly.

Spires of black smoke wafted into the gray sky as the body burned in the flames. The smell of gauze and flesh filled the air with a tinge of soaps and perfumes. They continued watching. (Author's note: in a Japanese funeral, all of the orifices of the dead body would be filled with gauze or cotton after being washed. Sometimes make up would be put on. They also put the body on ice, but since ice would be hard to come by around this time if it weren't winter, I'm assuming they might have preserved it with perfume or something to at least cover up some of the smell. If there was a casket, possessions that the deceased loved (like the hairpin) could be buried and burned with them. I'm doing everything but the casket thing because they didn't do that for, **SPOILER**, Ayumu when she died.) Okita stared a distantly blank and dark look in his eyes. The flames' reflection danced possessedly in his eyes. He watched as the last of his sanity burned away with her body.

He laid in his futon turned away from the dim gray light shining through the paper sliding door. Expressionless eyes overflowed with tears. The light casted three shadows onto his door.

"Okita?" Nagakura called out curiously. "You all right?"

"Go away!" he cried as he whimpered.

Nagakura sighed. Todou lowered his head sadly.

"Who knew," Nagakura began lowering his head as he turned away. "That too much sex could kill you..."

Todou nodded.

"Yea, we're short a doctor. We might as well be short a captain too," Harada spat out bitterly following the others as they walked off.

The gears in Okita's mind slowly creaked in thought.

The light casted another shadow onto the door. Slowly, the door slid open. A figure stood in the small opening and looked inside.

"Okita-san?" Tetsunosuke said worriedly. "Wanna talk about it? I got candy.. We can share.."

Okita turned to him with an innocent smile as a river of tears raged down his cheeks from swollen and emotionless eyes. Tetsunosuke stepped back shocked.

"Nah," he continued smiling as the tears fell. "You can have it. You'll probably enjoy it more than me..."

Slowly, he nodded.

"O.k. . ." he said slowly walking off.

He worried. Okita turned away. Saizou padded over oinking quietly. Smiling, as the tears continued to fall, Okita pulled the small pig close. His smile faded. The small pig watched as tears dripped down onto his face.

The gray sky turned to black as the feeling of night fell. Kondo sighed.

"It's been awful all day," he murmured. "It looks like it might rain."

Yamanami nodded. Hijikata puffed on his pipe. Sad expressions went around the room.

Slowly, Okita stood placing his katana and wakazashi into his obi. Sliding the door open, he walked out onto the street a grim and demonic look on his face.

Susumu leaped on the rooftops watching people march down the night streets. Innocently, shop owners slid their doors shut and blew out the lanterns hanging outside. He watched as a figure dressed in white seemed to float through the crowd his dark hair flowing behind him. The figure's swords clacked at his sides. _Okita? _He thought worriedly. _Demo.. He's off duty for tonight... _As Okita continued walking, Susumu followed, a worrying feeling slicing into his insides with a cold invisible blade.

The brothel door slammed open. The girls turned. Okita glared.

"Okita-sama!" the girls cried as they rushed over.

Slowly, Okita unsheathed his sword ignoring the girls' flirting coos.

"Okita-sama," a girl began worriedly as she stared at the shining silver blade. "... Are you all right?"

He turned to her with a cold grin on his face. The point of his sword rested itself just under her nose.

"Do I look all right?" he snapped coldly.

"W-well," the girl stuttered nervously. "No... Is something the matter?"

Sadly, he turned away lowering his sword.

"She would still be alive," he whispered bitterly. "If she hadn't been working in this damned place..."

"Who, Okita-sama?" she asked confused.

"Megumi-chan. ." he whispered as he lowered his head.

"I.. Don't know who that is..." she asked confused. "Gomen ne.."

He smirked a cold smirk.

"It's all right... It's not your fault," he smiled seemingly innocent. "It's not of your girls' fault.. But the men in this room..."

The men shot drunken glares at him.

"If you girls aren't out of this place in five minutes..." he grinned sadistically as he positioned his sword. "Then... I'll kill you all. No matter if you're a woman or a man."

Shocked and frightened expressions went around the room as the girls gasped. Drunkenly, a man pulled out his sword. In a flash, his blood splattered onto the walls before he could finish. Calmly, Okita stood glaring as the man's blood covered his face and dripped down his sword. The girls screamed as they scattered. The other men stumbled toward him their swords drawn. Okita rushed in. They fell screaming. Oceans of their blood flooded the room bathing the girls and Okita's white kimono in metallic crimson water. The girls screamed. Okita glared rushing toward them. He brought his sword down quickly as the girls fell in a red wave of blood. He ran through the brothel his geta sandals clacking loudly on the wooden floor. He burst into the many rooms quickly cutting down the occupants.

A cacophony of screams filled the brothel echoing out into the dark cloudy night. The brothel floors grew flooded and saturated with blood. As the last occupant collapsed onto the tatami floor in a spray of blood, Okita rushed outside dropping to his knees his sword dropping onto the floor in a loud clang. A rain of tears ran down his bloodstained cheeks leaving a cream colored waterway. He stared at his blood soaked hands the tears dripping down on them. A soft pattering fell on the rooftops. Still sobbing, he stared upwards. The cold rain fell blending with his tears washing his bloodied face and hands clean.

He pulled out his wakazashi. Rain and tears dripped down the blade. Quickly, he stabbed it hard into his flesh and sliced himself open slowly. He grit his teeth as tears continued to fall. Blood spurted into the mud. He collapsed feeling his life ebb away slowly with the river of blood, rain, and tears soaking into the over saturated ground. (Author's note: Seppuku is usually quicker, but to make it quick, after the person sliced themselves open, their head would be cut off. Okita is thus dying slowly because no one got to cut of his head.)

"I'll be with you soon, Megumi-chan," he whimpered as the blood spat from his mouth.

Susumu's eyes grew wide. Leaping, he flew from the rooftop to Okita's side. Gently, Susumu pulled his head into his lap.

"Okita-kun," he began shocked. "...Why?"

"Tell the others," Okita whispered. "That I'm sorry.."

He closed his eyes his body limp and still in the rain and mud. Sadly, Susumu nodded. As the rain poured down, Susumu hoisted his limp body over his shoulder and started back for the compound.

(Author's note: well... I tried once again to make it to the end, but I could not do it. Hopefully, the end will short by next chapter, and the epilogue will be up! Stay tuned!)


	12. Matters of the Heart pt 12 Farewells

Matters of the Heart pt. 12 Final Farewells

As the rain continued to pour, he walked up to Hijikata's open door. Eyes closed as he smoked his pipe, Hijikata sat as the gears in his head slowly turned. Yamanami and Kondo sat quietly with him sipping sake.

"Hijikata-san," Susumu began calmly. "Reports of a mass murder and a seppuku in Shimabara."

Eyes still closed, Hijikata continued puffing on his pipe.

"Who was involved?" he asked.

He laid the body on the walkway.

"See for yourself," he replied still composed.

Hijikata's eyes opened. His pipe dropped to the floor with an audible clank as the ashes spilled out onto the floor. He stared shocked.

"Souji. . ." he whispered.

Yamanami and Kondo turned. Yamanami's jaw dropped. Sadly, Kondo turned away as he set down his sake cup quietly. Visions of the happy and tumultuous past danced through their heads. Slowly, Hijikata stood.

"I'm going to think," he murmured hoarsely as he slowly walked away.

Sniffing the ground, the small pink pig walk up. Saizou glared up at him.

"You won't find your master here," Hijikata said as Saizou shot him a questioning glare. "Follow his scent, and you'll see what I mean."

Saizou oinked and continued walking past him. The pig let out a loud squeal. Saizou rammed and nudged Okita's limp form squealing. As Saizou continued squealing, they sadly lowered their heads.

"WHAT!" Nagakura cried.

Tears began running down Tetsunosuke's face.

"Okita's dead! How!" Nagakura whimpered.

"Seppuku," Susumu murmured as he turned away hanging his head.

Sadly, the other captains stared at the tatami mat. Saitou prayed. Todou and Harada sighed. Harada reached into his kimono and ran a finger along the vicious scar running on his abdomen.

"I guess..." he began. "We can't all survive it."

Todou and Nagakura nodded.

Kondo watched as the men began digging the grave and making tombstones. (Author's note: a Japanese grave is nothing more than a place to bury the urns of the deceased person's ashes.) He sighed.

"It would only be right, if we buried those two lovers together," he said wistfully.

Yamanami nodded. Smoke rose from the end of Hijikata's pipe. He watched a rare drooping expression on his face. Susumu leaned against the sliding door's frame.

"I... Can only assume," he began quietly. "That Okita went crazy after Megumi's death, and then went to Shimabara and murdered those in the brothel. Then committed seppuku."

The commanders nodded.

He wiped the tears away from his eyes as he knelt near the tombstone. Comfortingly, Tatsunosuke placed a hand on Tetsunosuke's shoulder. Ayumu rested her head on Seishin's shoulder her tears staining his dark kimono.

"Why Okita, why?" Tetsunosuke whimpered as the tears continued to fall.

Saizou laid against his leg oinking quietly. A pair of black lacquer urns rested beside a hole. On one, cherry blossoms rained down in a carved rain as a man placed the urn inside the grave. He turned to the other urn as the carved samurai continued sipping his sake with a large childish grin and placed the urn inside the grave beside the first. Slowly, Nagakura walked up a bottle of sake in his hands. Clear sour liquid cascaded down splashing on the urns. He smiled a small smile.

"This is good sake you two," he said his smile slowly fading. "You two shouldn't have to leave this world without a taste of it."

He rested a spear quietly beside the urns.

"May this spear protect you both in the next life," Harada whispered his lips curving into a faint smile.

Todou waved.

"Goodbye you guys," he greeted as he continued waving. "See you.. Someday."

They watched as the diggers slowly filled the plot burying the two urns deep into the ground.

"Okita-kun. . ." a voice cooed. "Ookkiittaa-kun. . ."

He swam in a sea of darkness. His dark eyes opened as he searched for the sound. From the darkness, a hand reached out. He reached for the long feminine fingers. Light and sound suddenly flooded his senses. His eyes went wide as a grin lit his face.

"Megumi-chan!" he cried throwing his arms around her.

Megumi smiled her eyes filled with tears.

"Okita-kun," she whispered burying her face into his neck as she entwined her arms around him.

"I thought you died," he whimpered nuzzling into her long dark hair.

"I did die, Okita," she replied sadly as she looked up to him. "Then.. You did too.."

He pulled out of her arms staring at her shocked. He turned. Diggers continued to fill the small plot as the others watched tears falling from their eyes. He turned back to her and smiled.

"I don't care," he smiled pulling her close. "As long as I've got you, I'll be all right."

She smiled.

"Excuse me," a depressed monotone voice said behind her.

"Ah!" she cried as she and Okita jumped. "Saitou-san!"

She turned.

"Don't scare me like that!" she scolded.

His drooping face smiled.

"I have to say," he began. "A lot of men felt that you, Megumi-san, died too soon. And you, Okita, you didn't give enough time for the men to adjust. Thus, you died too soon also."

They let out a nervous laugh. Sweat-drops rolled down their heads.

"Saitou-san.." Tetsunosuke asked as he turned. "Who are you talking to?"

"Just a couple of old friends," he said turning his drooping face to him.

Warily, Tetsunosuke nodded as he turned back to the filling grave.

"But.." she began still sweat-dropping. "I couldn't help it! I was sick!"

He turned to Okita.

"Ah.. W-well... Eh.." he stuttered as he stumbled for an answer.

Saitou let out a quiet chuckle.

"SAITOU!" Tetsunosuke pouted. "**_Who are you talking to_**!"

Saitou turned to him the day's dim light casting a ghostly shadow on his face.

"Some old friends..." he began chillingly. "A captain and a doctor..."

Slowly and frightened, Tetsunosuke turned away. A shiver ran up his spine.

"N-no way..." he twitched and stuttered. "Not possible..."

Saitou let out another quiet chuckled. He started off motioning for them to follow. In this room, they knelt before him as he poured himself some sake.

"I can offer you two options," he began his drooping face managing to maintain its droopiness. "You both can go to the afterlife, or you can stay here and haunt the compound. I can make the others keep your rooms as they were if you wish."

Megumi and Okita shot each other a glance. They smiled.

"Well..." Megumi began. "We'd like to stay here if we could.. As long as you men don't mind a few... extra guests..."

Saitou shook his head as a translucent figure walked into the room carrying his head in his arms.

"Hey, Saitou!" the head said.

Calmly, Saitou waved as the figure continued walking through the room and a wall. He shook his head.

"It should be o.k.," he replied sipping the drink. "You'd be surprised how many people are haunting this place."

Okita and Megumi looked past him their jaws lying limply on the ground. They twitched.

"**MEGUMI-SAN!**" a pair of voices screamed as two small translucent girls ran through the wall.

"You said you'd draw pictures with me!" Kagome cried crossing her arms with a pout.

"No!" Yumi cried as she clung to Megumi's kimono sleeve. "She said she'd play dolls with me!"

Kagome pulled on Megumi's empty sleeve.

"No! She's playing with ME!" she cried .

"No! ME!" Yumi screamed pulling Megumi to her side.

Kagome pulled Megumi back.

"NO ME!" she fought.

"NO ME!" the other screamed.

A nervous smile lit her face as sweat-drops ran down her head. Saitou stared.

"I know," Okita smiled cheerfully as he lifted Yumi onto his shoulders. "Why don't we all play together!"

Yumi stared down on him as Kagome looked up to him with a wide eyed expression.

"O.k.!" they chorused grinning.

Okita chuckled as he ran out the door the small girl still sitting on his shoulders as she let out peals of laughter. Megumi smiled as she slowly stood. Kagome took her hand eagerly. As she headed for the wall, she turned.

"Thank you, Saitou-san. . ." she smiled softly. "Thank you and the others.. For everything.."

Through the wall, she ran as she and Kagome headed for the peals of laughter. A genuine smile lit her face.

Matters of the Heart Epilogue: Summer's Hopes

Ayumu stared blankly as she slowly stirred the boiling pot. Outside of the kitchen, the men idly picked at the food. Nagakura stared out at the seemingly dim early summer sun and sighed. Seishin sat under the shaded walkway meditating as the gears in his mind slowly turned.

Megumi popped her head through the kitchen and eating hall wall.

"Ah..." she sighed as she looked around. "Look at all the depressed faces! Well.. Except Saitou. . . He's always like that..."

Saitou shot her a droopy look. She giggled. She turned to the Jokers and knelt beside Nagakura.

"Oh, Nagakura-san," she sighed. "Don't be sad!"

She placed a small peck on his cheek. Nagakura's slouching form shot straight up. A goofy grin grew on his face.

"An angel!" he slurred dreamily. "I just got kissed by an angel!"

Todou and Harada shot each other worried looks.

"Grief must be getting to him," Todou whispered.

"Oh yea," he agreed.

Nagakura glared.

"Oi!" Nagakura cried. "I'm not going crazy! I tell you! Something kissed me!"

Megumi giggled. Sighing, Harada and Todou shook their heads.

"Guys!" he whined.

She giggled and made her way to Todou's side. She pecked his cheek. A rosy patch spread across his face. He let out a childish chuckle. Harada shot him a worried look.

"You're right, Shinpachi," he said. "I just got kissed by an angel too!"

"Told you," he smirked.

Harada worried. Megumi continued giggling and scooted to Harada's side placing a peck on his cheek. He gasped. His dark eyes shifted around the room worriedly. Tetsunosuke and the others watched their heads turning and watching the few dim shadows in the room cautiously.

"Am I going crazy?" he wondered frightened.

Paranoid delusions continued running through his head.

"Ah... What's going on here?" Okita's ghostly voice said as he walked through the wall with a grin.

Megumi giggled again.

"Just playing a few tricks!" she grinned. "It's fun!"

Okita chuckled as he patted Harada's head. Harada stiffened as his eyes continued shifting his head turning at sharp and sudden angles. He held his chopsticks up in defensive pose. Okita laughed. She smiled as she slowly stood and made her way outside. Okita made his way to the kitchen.

Drowning out the noise as she thought, Ayumu sighed sadly. _Oh, Okita. . Megumi. . _She thought. _Why on earth did you have to go?_ Okita popped his head through the wall and frowned at her sad and drooping expression.

"Why?" she whimpered.

Okita watched her worriedly slowly walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her in a comforting embrace. At the warm feeling wrapping around her, Ayumu looked up from the boiling pots. She looked around the room. She nodded. A smile lit her face.

"Ah.. Seishin-san," Megumi smiled walking up to him. "When will you ask Ayumu to marry you?"

"Quite soon, actually," he replied making her gasp and jump. (Author's note: I know this seems a bit random, but I guess my partner at the time wanted to make him somehow react to her question...)

She leaned in close her face inches from his still shut eyelids. The eyes remained shut.

"Can you see me?" she wondered.

"No," he replied still meditating. "I could hear... But never see."

She nodded and pulled away.

"Well," she smiled. "When you do finally ask her, tell Ayumu she can use the old hair ornaments that are still in my room."

Seishin nodded as his eyes opened. Slowly, he stood. He stepped inside and made his way to the kitchen managing to ignore the worried and newly frightened members.

"Ayumu?" he called out into the kitchen as Okita quickly disappeared.

She turned to him. Her smile grew.

"Yes?" she asked.

Seishin dropped to a knee taking her hand in his.

"Ayumu-san," he began nervously. "Would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Ayumu gasped. Suddenly, a loud, joyous scream echoed through the compound. The skittering men jumped ten feet into the air out of shock and fright.

"OH SEISHIN!" she cried grinning a large grin. "I'D LOVE TO!"

Megumi let out a nervous chuckle as she sweat-dropped. _Wow, _she thought. She turned hearing two loud girlish giggles come running through the open sliding cafeteria door.

"Hehe!" Kagome giggled as she flipped through a small book. "Look what I found in the demon-man's room! It's a book of _funny haiku!_"

Giggling as she looked over Kagome's arms on her tip toes, Yumi giggled as she read. _Demon-man?_ Megumi wondered. She grinned. _Ooh.._

"Hehe!" Yumi giggled. "They sound weird!"

Next to Megumi, Okita knelt grinning. Suddenly, Kondo slid to a stop in front of the door his face pale and running with cold sweat.

"Anou..." he began nervously. "Has anyone seen Hijikata's haiku book?"

"**WHERE IS IT!**" a loud booming voice roared as the ascending speed of running sandals clacked wildly down the walkways.

Tetsunosuke, Nagakura, and Harada shivered with fear. _We ran around Mibu Village **24** times just to not even get away from Hijikata-san! What do we if we don't find it!_ He panicked. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small open book lying idly on the floor as silky black kanji ran along the pages breaking off into sections after seventeen syllables. Nagakura gasped. Quickly, he snatched the book up and threw it out the door.

"Hey!" Kagome and Yumi cried as their voices fell on Nagakura's spiritually deaf ears.

They rushed outside.

"Did you check outside?" he asked frantically.

Kondo looked out into the walkway and sighed a large relieved sigh. With a nervous grin, he picked up the book and walked off Yumi and Kagome jumping at the book in his arms crying out for it. The loud bellowing and rushing angry footsteps stopped. The others sighed in relief. Okita and Megumi smiled.

They knelt in a simple tatami, wood, and paper room. The shiro-maku pooled around Ayumu's knees and draped over her feet. A light blush stained her cheeks. (Author's note: a shiro-maku is the traditional Japanese wedding kimono. Bride's hair would be pulled into a bun-esque style called a "Bunkin Takashimada" which is decorated with "Kanzashi" or hairpins/combs. "Shiro" means "white," and "Maku" means "pure." The bride also wears what is called a "Tsuno Kakushi" which if I'm doing it right translates to "Disappearing Horns." The tsuno kakushi covers up the two kanzashi which symbolizes obedience as the two combs represent the bride's "horns." For a picture go here: h t t p / w w w . j a p a n e s e k I m o n o . c o m / w e d d I n g k I m o n o . h t m just copy and paste and remove the spaces and capital "I"'s.) Combs and hairpins decorated the large bunkin takashimada her hair wound into. Her tsuno kakushi rested lightly covering the two pins on the front of her head. Seishin knelt beside her dressed in gray hakama and a dark blue kimono and haori. Nervous sweat trickled down his face. Ayumu placed her hand on his as she sent him a smile. He beamed back at her. Susumu knelt behind them. (Author's note: in a Japanese wedding only the bride and groom's immediate family (mother, father, siblings) could attend.)

Megumi watched leaning against the wall just inside the door. Okita leaned beside her.

"Ah..." she sighed dreamily. "How romantic! Ayumu-chan is getting married!"

Okita nodded grinning.

"Hm.." she sighed dreamily again. "I mean... This is all a girl could ever hope for in life... How nice it would be..."

A blush spread across her face. Her hands cupped her face as her eyes closed the gates to her imagination opening. Okita stared a small smile growing on his face. She felt his eyes softly burning into her.

"Eh..." she started nervously as her blush grew darker. "Well... Ah... I better stop rambling."

He continued smiling as he placed a small peck on her cheek.

A red and white robed priest held up a small cup of sake. (Author's note: Japanese weddings were done by a Shinto priest, I believe the couple would say some vows then exchange three sips of sake. I think that's right.) In his hand, Seishin took the cup and sipped. Ayumu smiled taking the cup as he offered it to her. She sipped. He sipped again. The priest smiled.

"Megumi-chan. . ." he began. "Can we get some sake?"

She nodded.

"Hai," she replied. "They'll probably have at the reception."

Okita smiled as a small plan formed in his mind.

As the bright crimson uchikake adorned with growing chrysanthemums and lotuses, trailed behind Ayumu and Seishin, a door opened. The Jokers popped out cheering and grinning as they showered them with origami flowers. (Author's note: an uchikake is another, prettier kimono that's placed over the white bridal kimono for the reception. And at this point, the bride can remove the tsuno kakushi too.) The Jokers and the others eagerly handed over parcels of money. (Author's note: traditional Japanese gifts: money and household useful things. Grinning, Todou handed her a wooden spoon. Ayumu smiled. Susumu slipped a large parcel of money into Seishin's hand.

"Take care of her," he whispered a small smile on his face.

"I promise I shall do my utmost best to protect and provide for her," he replied nodding affirmatively.

Susumu nodded and slowly walked off blending into the shadows of the crowd.

The men crammed themselves into the sliding door cheering as Seishin slowly led Ayumu away headed for their room. A light blush streaked his face. Ayumu's smile grew into a grin. The Jokers whistled. Megumi and Okita smiled as they watched. Slowly and drunkenly, the men dispersed headed for their rooms red faced and singing out of tune. Tired commanders trudged back a light blush on their cheeks. She continued smiling as she spied a filled sake bottle out of the corner of her eye. Eagerly, she filled two sake cups.

"Okita-kun," she called out smiling offering him a small filled up. "Didn't you want sake?"

In her free hand, she sipped from her cup. Okita took her offered cup grinning. His hand scratched at his head.

"Now all we need is a priest," he muttered still scratching his head.

Megumi's small sake cup dropped onto the table with a small clink. Shining liquid spilled out. Her face grew hot and pink.

"N-nani?" she stuttered.

Okita smiled.

"I wanna marry you," he smiled.

Her face grew red. A large smile grew as she threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Okita!" she grinned as he hugged her tightly. ". . . Hm. . . Maybe Saitou-san knows someone..."

"Already taken care of," a droopy voice murmured as a droopy face rested just above her shoulder.

Okita jumped. She screamed clinging tightly to Okita's kimono.

"Still scaring people... Even when they're dead," Okita smiled sweat-dropping.

Saitou smiled motioning to a translucent priest standing behind him. They grinned.

"Oh thank you, Saitou-san!" Megumi cried.

Saitou nodded with a small smile.

As the sweet sake pushed past his throat, Okita smiled. Megumi drank. Kagome and Yumi knelt nearby grinning. The early summer light shined through the paper clad door. (Author's note: I know Yumi and Kagome aren't family, but it's as close as these two will ever get to having one now that they're dead.. Unless ghosts can have kids... In which I highly doubt.)

Saitou stood just outside watching the other soldiers walk by. _It looks like a good day,_ Saitou thought. _Hopefully, it will be._

The last drops of sake slipped down their throats. They grinned giddily.

"Yay!" Kagome and Yumi screamed as they leaped to their feet. "Bishonen-san and Megumi-san are married!"

They danced around spinning around the room as their childish giggles filled the air. Okita placed a hand on her transparent cheek and slowly leaned in. Megumi's arms wrapped around him. Their lips locked eyes closing passionately.

"Ooh," the two girls chimed curiously as they stared.

Blushing, she pulled away lowering her head shyly. He smiled pulling her close placing kisses over her face.

The door slid open. Smiling a small smile, Saitou walked inside.

"Saitou-san. . ." she purred as Okita nipped at her neck with a grin. "Do you mind watching the kids for tonight?"

". . . Sure..." he replied cautiously.

"YAY!" the girls cried as they ran off. "We get to the stay with the weird man tonight!"

A loud crash resounded from Saitou's room. Saitou turned towards them his mouth opening to speak. Before the words came, Okita and Megumi slipped through the wall suggestively grinning and giggling. Slowly, Saitou nodded to himself and sighed walking out of the room in search of the little ghosts wrecking his room.

(Author's note: Yes... I know ghosts probably can't have sex either. But you never know.. I've found lemons on this. O.o! Anyway, that's the end! Hope you liked it. : ) )


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